New Analyzer Measures Chemical Oxygen Demand for Wastewater Treatment Plants

Wastewater treatment plants can benefit from a new chemical oxygen demand (COD) analyzer that will provide plant engineers with another tool to monitor water quality and prevent environmental contamination.

COD analysis is used to detect levels of organic pollutants in water, and early identification of these contaminants can indicate an issue in the treatment process of wastewater. The new Thermo Scientific Orion 3106 COD analyzer is the latest addition to the portfolio of Orion products serving the wastewater industry.

The analyzer combines a digestion step with colorimetric analysis to measure the concentration of organic compounds that can affect water quality. Particularly high levels of COD may require additional treatment processes. The presence of high COD levels during the disinfection process will lead to additional hypochlorite dosing. This results in the formation of chloramines, which, if present in high levels, can be carcinogenic.

“By determining organic pollutants in surface water or wastewater, COD measurement can provide a useful indicator of water quality, something that is essential to the environmental monitoring industry,” said Giovanni De Dona, global process business manager at Thermo Fisher Scientific. “By adding this new COD analyzer to our portfolio of portable and benchtop Orion water analysis instruments, we aim to provide environmental chemists with a complete solution to liquid analysis and measurement.”

The new analyzer is designed to reduce ongoing operating costs due to its low maintenance and reagent consumption. Furthermore, by controlling the treatment process, users can reduce disinfection costs. The intuitive user interface simplifies navigation for an enhanced operator experience.