On-Line Cyanobacteria Monitoring

The project aim to ensure water quality guidelines are met during cyanobacteria blooms by developing a protocol for the application of an on-line analyzer to obtain real-time information

Members of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) bioMASS Lab, under the auspices of the Australian Research Council (ARC), have recently started executing the "Linkage Project" - a coordinated effort to better monitor cyanobacteria in important watersheds. On-line information gathered from this project will be used to predict coagulant doses and powdered activated carbon application in the water treatment process. UNSW has collaborated withXylem Analytics AustraliaandYSI, a Xylem brand,to bring the full power of our next-level monitoring equipment into play.

Project Summary

Cyanobacteria, more commonly known as blue-green algae, can impact water quality by releasing toxins that can be harmful to life and impart unpleasant taste and odor to the water. The project supports the water industry in managing these risks by providing a rapid, on-line tool to assist in their early detection and removal during water treatment. The project collaborators aim to ensure water quality guidelines are met during cyanobacteria blooms by developing a protocol for the application of an on-line analyzer to obtain real-time information. This information will direct the application of substances that will combat the blooms.

To meet their goals the UNSW team is deploying multiple EXO2 sondes for both spot sampling and continuous monitoring.Outfitted with YSI's TAL (Total Algae) Sensor ( # 599103-01) the YSI sondes will sample for cyanobacteria among other parameters.

The team is complementing their sampling efforts by also conducting continuous monitoring. The system automatically uploads water quality data to an on-line database where the team can review a live stream of information to help inform their models. By going to an on-line platform there's no need to wait for regular trips to the field to start the work associated with data analysis.

Project Objectives

• The calibration of fluorescence probes for accurate cyanobacteria enumeration in a range of water quality conditions
• The estimation and validation of cyanobacteria metabolites cell quotas and intra- and extra-partitioning for cultured and environmental cyanobacteria samples
• The application and validation of the probe for the ‘real time' determination of cell numbers and extracellular metabolite concentration to control PAC dose
• The application and validation of the probe to assist in directing coagulant doses in the presence of cyanobacteria to achieve filtered water quality goals
• The determination of the feasibility of the application of the probes as an on-line tool at a full-scale plant

Source: YSI

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