Baroxymeter

Rapid Toxicity Detection of Waste Water.

• Fast results in 10 minutes
• Portable robust and reliable
• Accurate and easy to use
• Inexpensive

The BAROXYMETER is a portable respirometer designed for the Direct Toxicity Assessment (DTA) of waste water. DTA takes a risk-based approach to water quality analysis, using effects in biological systems as a basis for assessing likely harm to an ecosystem in water receiving effluent discharges. With a DTA an integrated assessment can be made of the impact of complex mixtures of pollutants, which can usually only be partially characterized by chemical analysis.

The BAROXYMETER is aimed at the busy operator in need of an early rapid toxicity warning system that can be used directly with the sample of interest. The instrument monitors the respiration rate of bacteria in contact with a minimal volume of an “unknown” sample and compares it with that of a “known” sample and reports back to the operator in terms of % respiration inhibition. The BAROXYMETER is capable of detecting toxicity from highly toxic samples within 10 minutes.

The BAROXYMETER has also been able to detect heavy metals and a variety of other substances ranging from pesticides/insecticides to antibacterial substances. Furthermore field trials with major UK Water Companies as well as with the UK Environment Agency have proven the versatility and effectiveness of the instrument in detecting toxicity in waste water.