UK - Long-term field trial of BioElectrochemical System Sensor (BES Sensor) for monitoring of Water Quality in real-time

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A water quality biosensor will be comprehensively tested in real-world conditions, progressing towards Technology Readiness Level TRL 7 (demonstration in an operating environment at pre-commercial scale). The prototype sensor under development has arisen as a result from previous projects funded by NERC, EPSRC and BBSRC/IUK. Bioelectrochemical Systems (BES) technology, incorporating an electrode-supported microbial biofilm which generates electricity from oxidation of organics, has great potential for low-cost, real-time sensing applications. The magnitude of the electrical current generated correlates with the biodegradable organic loading (e.g. Biochemical Oxygen Demand; BOD) and conversely the signal is inhibited when toxic compounds are present. Using a novel configuration of multi-stage BES sensors developed by Newcastle University, the sensor is capable of measuring an extended BOD range and can explicitly distinguish BOD and toxicity events. The sensor will be used to monitor organic load/BOD and toxicity levels in real-time on wastewater provisioned from a real-world, wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Long-term monitoring data will be collected over one year and used to inform design and build of a combined sensor package, which will propel the technology towards commercial realisation.