An Automated Biological Monitoring Facility for Rapidly and Continuously Assessing Industrial Effluents
SourceA continuous and automatic biological monitoring facility has been developed to measure the toxicity of industrial effluents to aquatic organisms. The ventilatory rates of bluegill sunfish, Lepomis macrochirus, are monitored with the aid of a minicomputer. The biomonitoring and auxiliary components have been housed within a 9.75 by 3.66-m (32 by 12-ft) trailer to facilitate on-site monitoring. Other incorporations include a continuous-flow acute bioassay unit, probes for monitoring conductivity, dissolved oxygen, pH, and temperature, and an automatic water sampler. Initial testing employing the petroleum industry's arbitrary reference mixture, two synthetic chlorinated effluents, and an effluent from a U.S. Army ammunition plant has demonstrated the potential of the present system for monitoring industrial wastewaters.