New outlook in BOD measurement and bioprocess management: the Enverdi® kit

Knowing the quantity and biodegradability of wastewater organic matter (OM) is really essential for the optimization of modern biological treatment processes, particularly when considering the highly challenging context for sewage treatment plant operators. However, the current standard methods for wastewater characterisation, as for 5-days biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) measurement, OM fractionation analysis and bacterial inhibitor detection, show very poor suitability for routine operational use. In this paper, the efficiency of the commercial Enverdi® method (fluorimetric respirometry) for such analytical applications is investigated, especially for the BOD5-equivalent measurement in municipal wastewater samples. The result of numerous experiments showed that the BOD5 values obtained from the alternative Enverdi® method and the main standard methods are statistically equivalent. The analytical performances of the Enverdi® method was found similar to the standard BOD5 method specifications and perfectly matched the French regulatory requirements in force. The regulatory acceptance of this method is presently under consideration. Such an outlook would be really valuable for end-users given the main advantages of this analytical solution which is time- and space-saving, user-friendly and financially competitive. In addition to BOD5 measurement, the fluorimetric respirometry displayed very promising abilities for the OM fractionation and the detection of bacterial inhibitors in wastewater.