A fiber optic system for water analysis with high transparency in the deep-UV region (lambda greater than or equal to 190 nm) is presented. The system consists of special UV-improved silica fibers and a liquid-core waveguide (LCW) as an optical cell. The apertures of both light guides, the silica fiber and the LCW, are matched. The optical losses of the device are investigated experimentally and compared with theory, especially with a standard free-space geometry. The performance of the system with respect to UV absorption spectroscopy is demonstrated for nitrate and chlorine pollution in pure water. For a 203-mm-long LCW the detection limits have been determined to be as low as 22 mu g/L for nitrate and 26 mu g/L for chlorine. (C) 1998 Optical Society of America. [References: 32]
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