A novel open-type biosensor for the in-situ monitoring of biochemical oxygen demand in an aerobic environment

• DOI: 10.1038/srep38552
• Publication Date: 2016-12-05T10:14:10Z
• Authors: Takahiro Yamashita; Natsuki Ookawa; Mitsuyoshi Ishida; Hiroyuki Kanamori; Harumi Sasaki; Yuichi Katayose; Hiroshi Yokoyama
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; 03 medical and health sciences; 13. Climate action; Article; 6. Clean water

Abstract Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) is a widely used index of water-quality assessment. Since bioelectrochemical BOD biosensors require anaerobic conditions for anodic reactions, they are not directly in aerobic environments such as aeration tanks. Normally, the closed-type, where anode packed inside closed chamber to avoid exposure oxygen. In this study, novel open-type biosensor was designed in-situ monitoring during intermittent aeration. The anode, without any protection against oxygen, inserted into an intermittently aerated tank filled with livestock wastewater. Anodic potential controlled using potentiostat. Interestingly, generated similar levels current under both aerating and non-aerating conditions, showed logarithmic correlation (R 2 > 0.9) concentrations up 250 mg/L. Suspended solids wastewater attached covered whole presumably leading production via biological removal. Exoelectrogenic anaerobes ( Geobacter spp.) were detected 16S-rRNA gene. This will have various practical applications, automatic control intensity natural water environments.