Scientists at Tula State University have developed devices that quickly determine the biochemical oxygen consumption index, one of the main indicators of water quality. The devices are compact, run on regular batteries and are suitable for field research. With their help, water analysis is carried out in half an hour.
“According to classical technology, water samples are kept for five days, after which changes in their biochemical composition are studied. Often, the information obtained in this case is no longer relevant, since harmful substances that enter the reservoir will have time to destroy the beneficial organisms in it,” Vyacheslav Arlyapov, one of the authors of the development, a leading researcher at the Laboratory of Biologically Active Compounds and Biocomposites at Tula State University, told Izvestia.
According to him, the sensitive element in the new devices is bioelectrodes with yeast strains that react to organic matter. To interpret the electrical signal, biosensors are equipped with an appropriate software package.
The specialist noted that the new equipment will allow for operational monitoring of reservoirs and industrial wastewater. According to tests, the data from express sensors are 93–95% consistent with control measurements using standard methods.
At the same time, the analysis technique using new biosensors has been certified and has legal force. This means that readings from portable devices can be used to prove contamination in court and regulatory authorities.
Read more in the exclusive material of Izvestia on Friday, October 20, at 10:00
Water genus: yeast will evaluate the quality of industrial wastewater
