Articles
RSSBringing Efficiency And New Confidence To BOD5 Analysis
May 26, 2008
Click Here To Download:•Case Study: Bringing Efficiency And New Confidence To BOD5 Analysis
By Bob Dabkowski
BOD5 testing used to be a time consuming and inefficient procedure for the Nacogdoches, Texas, Wastewater Environmental Laboratory, requiring continuous instrument membrane replacements, and due to problems with instrument drift and slow measurements. With the adoption of new, breakthrough luminescent technology, however, BOD5 testing for the lab has become more accurate and easier.
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) analysis is the test everyone loves to hate – and for compelling reasons. The test has a number of disadvantages: a five-day incubation period, extensive sample preparation and, often, difficulties in obtaining consistent repetitive values.
Most wastewater treatment plant laboratories currently use membrane-based probes to measure dissolved oxygen (DO) in the BOD5 Procedure. Before the development of these probes, labs typically used a titration method, which was a lot more complicated and time consuming. Although membrane DO probes took some of the hassle out of BOD measurement procedures, they came with their own set of hassles, according to Jill Bolin, Laboratory Manager for the Water Utilities Department of Nacogdoches, Texas.
"We had a lot of drift on our probes because the membranes would constantly be fouling. This was causing major problems with our blanks coming in. We had calibration issues with the probes, too. We would always be cleaning, recalibrating the probes, and replacing the membranes to try solve the problems."
Click Here To Download:•Case Study: Bringing Efficiency And New Confidence To BOD5 Analysis
