Continuous Toxicity Monitoring of Waste Water

Toxicity is the most common disturbance to biological treatment processes – especially for nitrification. The continuous toxicity monitoring proactively protects the waste water treatment plant and hence, secures to keep the plant running.

LAR's online toxicity analyser NitriTox continuously monitors the plants' influent for toxic pollutants. This toxicity test contains highly sensitive nitrifiers, which constantly and independently produces biomass. This means that the risk of the test organisms within the analyser being contaminated is avoided, as every water sample is tested with a small and fresh amount of bacteria. Unlike alternative toxicity tests, purchasing or time consuming breeding of test organisms is not necessary anymore. The used subset of nitrifiers is brought into contact with the waste water. Then, an oxygen electrode measures the bacteria's oxygen consumption, whereby the toxicity concentration can be detected. Depending on the application, the measurement results are available in 5-10 min. Thus, operators can take countermeasures, in case of a toxic load, to protect the biology of the waste water treatment plant effectively.