Fiber bundle sensor for detection of formaldehyde concentration in fish

We experimentally demonstrate an optical fiber bundle based sensor for measuring formaldehyde concentration in fish. We show that when contaminated fish samples are shined with red laser light with about 630 nm wavelength, the intensity of the backscattered radiation increases linearly with respect to the formaldehyde concentration. Our sensor has a simple architecture, it exhibits good sensitivity, linearity and stability and it has been tested for formaldehyde concentrations ranging from 3% to 21%. Our sensor allows non-destructive, on-site measurements and will have applications towards the development of all-optical cheap and portable sensors for detection of pollutants and toxic chemicals in the food industry and in the agriculture sector, being potentially suitable for measurements in the field.