An optical chemical sensor has been prepared for the selective determination of o-nitrophenol in aqueous solutions based on the fluorescence quenching of curcumin in PVC membrane. The sensing mechanism of the proposed sensor for o-nitrophenol has been discussed in detail. The fluorescence changes of sensing membrane resulted from an associated complex formation between curcumin and o-nitrophenol. In pH 4.8 buffer solution, the sensor responds linearly in the measuring range from 1.0 x 10(-2) mol 1(-1) to 1.5 x 10(-4) mol 1(-1), and the experimental detection limit is evaluated to be 8.0 x 10(-5) mol 1(-1). A stable signal was obtained within less than 1.5 min. Under the optimum conditions, the sequence of selective response to the sensing membrane is o-nitrophenol > 2,4-dinitrophenol > m-nitrophenol > p-nitrophenol > 2,4,6-trinitrophenol. Phenol, aniline as well as other ions have less effect on the fluorescence of the sensor. The reproducibility for the determination of o-nitrophenol is better than 1%, and the response is reversible. The sensor can be used for the determination of o-nitrophenol in water samples.