BIOSENOS
“Development of an innovative, self-sufficient biosensor as a solution for the online monitoring and continuous control of dissolved oxygen concentrations in the decentralized wastewater treatment”
Subproject of the Institute of Water Chemistry:
„Development and systematic investigation of a new biosensor for real-time monitoring of dissolved oxygen concentrations based on the microbial fuel cell technology“
Project leader: Prof. Dr. Stefan Stolte
Scientific co-workers: Dr. Daniela Haaken, Dr. Viktor Schmalz
Funding: AiF ((FKZ: KK 5050301SY0))
Duration: 03/2021 - 06/2023
Cooperation partner: Bergmann Beton + Abwassertechnik GmbH (BBAT)
In Germany, the total number of small sewage treatment plants is estimated at nearly 1.9 million whereby only biological sewage treatment plants have been allowed to operate since the year 2005. Thereby, the biological treatment stage represents the centerpiece of these sewage treatment plants. Compressed aeration systems supply this main treatment stage with atmospheric oxygen to ensure and promote the growth of aerobic microorganisms. In general, the aeration consumes most of the energy compared to other treatment stages of small sewage treatment plants. To date, it is assumed that 50 % of the aeration energy might be reduced by optimizing the monitoring and controlling processes. Thereby, energy-efficient aeration requires an adapted and demand-oriented control of the energy input. For this purpose, the implementation of innovative, cost-effective and low-maintenance technologies in the biological treatment stage is indispensable for the online monitoring of performance-related parameter. In this regard, the concentration of dissolved oxygen represents a key parameter to ensure a stable purification performance and, thus, a safe operation of the sewage plant at any time. To date, commercially available oxygen sensors do not or insufficiently meet the special requirements for the application in the decentralized wastewater treatment. Therefore, real-time monitoring and control of dissolved oxygen concentrations is not possible until today. Intense research activities on the development and testing of new sensors for the online monitoring of dissolved oxygen concentrations are necessary.
Against this background, an innovative, self-sufficient O2-biosensor, which is based on the microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology, is to be developed and tested within the framework of the cooperation project BIOSENOS between the Institute of Water Chemistry and the company Bergmann Beton + Abwassertechnik GmbH. Thereby, the new O2-biosensor should be easily integrable into the monitoring and control systems of small sewage treatment plants. Within this project, systematic examinations on the MFC-based determination of dissolved oxygen concentrations are conducted by varying wastewater and process specific parameters at the Institute of Water Chemistry. The MFC technology is to be optimized and application limits are to be specified. The laboratory results are provided to the cooperation partner BBAT. The company BBAT will investigate the practicality of the newly developed O2-biosensor within an extensive field-testing campaign (small sewage treatment plants).