Abstract
Biofouling presents a significant obstacle to the long-term use of electrochemical sensors in complex media. Drinking water biofilms reduce performance of sensors by insulating electrode surfaces by inter alia inhibiting mass transport. Boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes are relatively resistant to biofouling and inert at high potentials. These qualities can be exploited to create a drinking water quality sensor that resists biofouling to meet performance criteria for longer, and to enable electrochemical cleaning of the sensor surface in situ using high potentials without disconnecting or disassembling the sensor.A purpose-built BDD wall-jet sensor was compared with a glassy carbon (GC) sensor in ability to determine free chlorine, detect biofilm and remove biofilm in situ. It was found that the BDD produced accurate and reliable readings with a 4.86% standard error and a LOD of 0.18ppm. The BDD could be electrochemically cleaned in situ whereas this was less successful with the GC electrode. The BDD electrode could also detect electroactive pyocyanin, secreted in the biofilm of the drinking water biofilm indicator organism Pseudomonas aeruginosa, potentially enabling biofouling and non-biological fouling such as scaling to be distinguished. Observed changes in flow sensitivity and current-voltage curves that correspond to fouling provide multiple fouling detection methods, resulting in an accurate, sensitive, water quality sensor that can be cleaned without disassembly or replacement of parts and can identify when cleaning is required.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.