Handheld fluorometer

A method of detecting concentration of dipicolinic acid in a chemical composition, comprising:

• adding terbium chloride to a sample of a chemical composition to form a resulting chemical composition wherein the terbium chloride combines with the dipicolinic acid in the chemical composition;
• providing a fluorometer, comprising:
• an excitation source for emitting electromagnetic radiation at one or more wavelengths, and
• a detector module for detecting fluorescence emitted by dipicolinic acid;
• emitting electromagnetic radiation from the excitation source at wavelengths that induce fluorescence in the dipicolinic acid-terbium chloride combination present in the resulting chemical composition;
• detecting the fluorescence emitted by the dipicolinic acid-terbium chloride combination via the detector module;
• and
• determining the concentration of dipicolinic acid in the sample using a predetermined relationship between fluorescence emitted and the concentration of the dipicolinic acid-terbium chloride combination in the resulting chemical composition.