Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/R009473/1
UK - Long-term field trial of BioElectrochemical System Sensor (BES Sensor) for monitoring of Water Quality in real-time
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Professor I Head, Newcastle University, Sch of Natural & Environmental Sciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor EH Yu, Loughborough University, Chemical Engineering
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor TP Curtis, Newcastle University, Sch of Engineering
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor A Yakovlev, Newcastle University, Sch of Engineering
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor K Scott, Newcastle University, Sch of Engineering
- Grant held at:
- Newcastle University, Sch of Natural & Environmental Sciences
- Science Area:
- Atmospheric
- Earth
- Freshwater
- Marine
- Terrestrial
- Overall Classification:
- Unknown
- ENRIs:
- Environmental Risks and Hazards
- Global Change
- Natural Resource Management
- Pollution and Waste
- Science Topics:
- Environmental biotechnology
- Water quality
- Technol. for Environ. Appl.
- Anaerobic Digestion of Waste
- Waste Pollution Management
- Waste Waters Management
- Water Risk Assessment
- Waste Management
- Chemical Biosensors
- Chemical Sensors
- Environmental Sensors
- Real-time Monitoring
- Instrumentation Eng. & Dev.
- Survey & Monitoring
- Biofilms
- Environmental biotechnology
- Environmental sensing
- Industrial contaminants
- Water quality
- Water waste
- Abstract:
- 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.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/R009473/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- NC&C
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Innovation Follow on
This grant award has a total value of £94,267
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| DI - Other Costs | Indirect - Indirect Costs | DA - Investigators | DA - Estate Costs | DI - Staff | DA - Other Directly Allocated | DI - T&S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £10,081 | £31,225 | £10,236 | £8,281 | £31,561 | £1,269 | £1,613 |
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