Real-Time Sensor for Continuous On-Line Monitoring of Wastewater Quality

Real-time monitoring of wastewater quality remains an unsolved challenge in the treatment industry. The standard method of biological oxygen demand (BOD) yields slow results (five days); another standard method, chemical oxygen demand (COD), uses hazardous chemicals and does not provide direct information on potential for ecological pollution. The treatment industry has expressed an urgent need for the development of new, meaningful fast-responding measurement methods to complement the current standard methods. The overall objective of this SBIR project is to develop a field deployable, rapid, real-time handheld sensor for continuous on-line monitoring of wastewater quality that uses electrochemical oxidation profiles to characterize effluent. During Phase I, Giner, Inc. will demonstrate the feasibility of developing a novel electrochemical process for the determination of the oxidizable water constituents as alternative to present standard measurements. Laboratory studies and comparisons to standard methods will be performed to confirm the feasibility of proposed approaches. The proposed process can be carried out rapidly without the use of dangerous chemicals and without the difficulties encountered in typical electrochemical oxidation. Phase II program will include sensor and instrument refinements and extensive field testing in real municipal wastewater to study stability, reliability, and reproducibility of the portable system.