Optical Sensor Technologies in Sustaining Quality of Life

Dear Colleagues,

The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) incorporated 17 target areas, collectively designed to transform the life on Earth towards a better future. In achieving this, it is imperative for all the essential elements pertaining to the quality of life are objectively recognized and the values are well preserved. Protecting the clean environment, ensuring food quality and safety, and maintaining good health are positioned at the heart of global sustainable efforts. The identification and quantification of the important variables associated with human quality of life is significant in imposing a safe threshold and subsequently allow the mobilisation of appropriate measurement technologies in illuminating the path to promote sustainability founded upon a safe, clean, and healthy lifestyle. Among the existing practices, optical methods are becoming the central focus in modern research on sensing technologies due to their potential non-invasive interface with samples, less laborious and served as a safer and cleaner alternative to other methods. Inspired by the harmonious blend between optical technologies and global SDG efforts, the Photonics journal is dedicating this Special Issue to promoting and gathering research on the application of optical sensing technologies related to sustaining variables associated with human quality of life.

The focus of this issue is on the application of the following optical instrumentation and measurement techniques:

• Ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared spectroscopy
• Raman spectroscopy
• Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy
• Fluorescence spectroscopy
• Colorimetry
• Optical fibre sensor technologies
• Development of specialised, simplified and lower-cost optical sensing systems
• Remote sensing technologies
• Hyperspectral imaging system

For the following (but not limited) potential applications

• The measurement of air pollution, such as quantification of aerosol and particulate matter
• Water quality measurement, including turbidity, total suspended solids, total dissolved solids and heavy metals
• Characterising light pollution and its threat to biodiversity
• The measurement of solar ultraviolet irradiance, including its implication on human health and materials
• Monitoring of climate change
• Early detection of plant disease and physiological responses to stress
• Measurement of fruits’ intrinsic qualities, such as soluble solid contents, acidity, firmness, vitamins and minerals
• Detection of food adulteration and mishandling, such as adulteration in honey and quality degradation of thermally abused cooking oils
• Skin quality analysis, including the measurement of hydration, trans-epidermal water loss, sebum and pigmentation
• Cancer detection at the cellular and tissue level
• Colour measurement in dentistry

Dr. Ahmad Fairuz Omar
Prof. Dr. M. Jamal Deen
Guest Editors

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