Automatización del ensayo de respirometría para caracterización biocinética de microorganismos

Abstract

Wastewater treatment consists of a series of physical, chemical and biological processes. Wastewater treatment involves the biological performance of microorganisms; so it is crucial to understand these mechanisms because they are a key part of the process. Oxygen consumption of microorganisms is directly related to the growth of biomass and with the further degradation of the substrate. Respirometry is a technique based on the measurement and interpretation of oxygen consumption, and the parameters involved in the functional relationships that are linked over the long term are directly or indirectly correlated with the oxygen balance, provided that the experimental conditions are defined and controlled. Because respirometry is a fast and affordable technique, it is widely used for the characterization of sewage and activated sludge. In this research setting and respirometry –titrimetric test automation processes, developed experiments to obtain the biokinetic parameters of microalgae Chlorella, Scenedesmus and FF species 1. These experiments were carried out with the controlled addition of a carbon source, to obtain a change in the oxygen balance as a result. Consequently, the results of this research are valuable for a better understanding of the performance of microalgae in stabilization ponds, being able to be used to improve the design and control of systems for wastewater treatment.