An On-Line Respirographic Biosensor for the Characterization of Load and Toxicity of Wastewaters

A respirographic biosensor is presented that is capable of monitoring the waste load and potential toxicity of wastewaters, both off-line in a laboratory or on-line at the wastewater treatment plant. The principles of the sensors' operation have been developed and implications of the design choices evaluated. Short term BOD values were obtained every 30 min. The linear dynamic range spanned concentrations differing by a factor of 5000. This range could be expanded by a factor of 10 by adjusting the aeration rate of the bioreactor in the sensor. The response time for toxicity detection was approximately 1 h. The use in the sensor of activated sludge from the plant concerned ensured relevant toxicity information was obtained. To check the condition of the sludge, an independent respiration measurement is proposed. When a significant activity change is observed, the sludge in the sensor must be replaced. The presence of oxido- reduction chemicals can cause interferences that may lead to measurement errors. Based on a difference in reaction kinetics, their presence can be assessed and the effect eliminated. Both on-line and laboratory applications in the chemical industry are presented. Special emphasis is given to the usefulness of the sensor data for waste management of production divisions. On-line assessment of load variations and hydrogen peroxide spills are given as illustrations of the implementation of the sensor on the treatment plant. Attention is drawn to the potential application of the data for process control and improved performance of the treatment plant.

[1]  Vernimmen Ap,et al.  A short-term biochemical oxygen demand test. , 1967 .

[2]  P. Farkas.  METHOD FOR MEASURING AEROBIC DECOMPOSITION ACTIVITY OF ACTIVATED SLUDGE IN AN OPEN SYSTEM , 1969 .

[3]  J. Blok.  Respirometric measurements on activated sludge , 1974 .

[4]  I Karube,et al.  Microbial electrode BOD sensors , 1977, Biotechnology and bioengineering.

[5]  J. A. Roth,et al.  Development of a continuous respirometer , 1978 .

[6]  J. Kulys,et al.  Yeast BOD sensor , 1980 .

[7]  Andrea Holmberg,et al.  Microprocessor-based estimation of oxygen utilization in the activated sludge wastewater treatment process , 1981 .

[8]  J. Howell,et al.  On-line measurement of respiration and mass transfer rates in an activated sludge aeration tank , 1984 .

[9]  S. Strand,et al.  Rapid BOD measurement for municipal wastewater samples using a biofilm electrode , 1984 .

[10]  M. Könne.  Practical experiences with a new on‐line BOD measuring device , 1985 .

[11]  M. B. Beck.  Identification, estimation and control of biological waste-water treatment processes , 1986 .

[12]  Daniel W. Smith,et al.  Design and evaluation of an automated oxygen uptake rate measurement system , 1988 .

[13]  T. Sekine,et al.  Supervision and control of the activated sludge process utilising the respiration rate activity , 1988 .

[14]  Gustaf Olsson,et al.  Simultaneous DO Control and Respiration Estimation , 1989 .

[15]  Stefano Marsili-Libelli,et al.  Adaptive estimation of bioactivities in the activated sludge process , 1990 .

[16]  P. Princz,et al.  BOD MEASUREMENT OF NON-TOXIC WASTEWATERS WITH AN IMPROVED MICROBIAL PROBE , 1990 .

[17]  W. Gujer,et al.  Simultaneous determination of oxygen uptake rate and oxygen transfer coefficient in activated sludge systems by an on-line method. , 1990 .

[18]  M. Pompe,et al.  Respirometric determination of wastewater biodegradation in a biological treatment plant , 1990 .

[19]  H. Spanjers,et al.  On-line meter for respiration rate and short-term biochemical oxygen demand in the control of the activated sludge process. , 1990 .

[20]  Y.-S. Lee,et al.  Operating reserve and reliability analysis of the Taiwan power system , 1990 .

[21]  David M. Rawson,et al.  A chemically mediated amperometric biosensor for monitoring eubacterial respiration , 1991 .

[22]  J. Vasel,et al.  « Automatisation et comparaison de différentes méthodes respirométriques d'estimation rapide de la DBO » , 1991 .

[23]  M. S. Switzenbaum,et al.  Filamentous Bulking in Massachusetts: Extent of the Problem and Case Studies , 1992 .

[24]  Jan Van Impe,et al.  Extracts from the discussions held during the workshop on modeling,monitoring and control of the activated sludge process , 1992 .

[25]  W. Verstraete,et al.  An activated sludge-based biosensor for rapid IC50 estimation and on-line toxicity monitoring. , 1993, Biosensors & bioelectronics.

[26]  Miloslav Drtil,et al.  Kinetic constants of nitrification , 1993 .