Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTPs) face significant challenges in managing nutrient levels, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, to comply with increasingly stringent environmental regulations.
Excessive concentrations of these nutrients can cause eutrophication, leading to harmful algal blooms and disrupting aquatic ecosystems. To address these issues, Metrohm provides state-of-the-art process analytics solutions designed to monitor critical parameters in real-time, allowing treatment plants to optimise their operations and ensure compliance with regulatory standards.
A key feature of Metrohm’s analysers is their ability to measure ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, orthophosphate, and True total phosphorus (with included digestion stage) directly from unfiltered samples. This eliminates the need for labour-intensive sample pre-treatment, reducing both operational costs and maintenance demands. By using unfiltered samples, the analysers capture a more accurate representation of the conditions within the wastewater, providing more reliable data for process optimisation. This is crucial for WWTPs that must make continuous adjustments to chemical dosing, aeration, and biological treatment processes in response to fluctuating nutrient loads.
Metrohm’s analysers use ion-selective electrodes (ISE with standard addition) and colorimetric detection methods, which are well-suited to the harsh environments typical of wastewater treatment. These methods ensure high sensitivity, allowing the analysers to detect even low concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds. By continuously tracking nutrient levels, the systems enable WWTPs to make real-time process adjustments, helping to prevent excessive chemical use and avoid the overloading of biological treatment systems. For example, in the case of phosphorus removal, precise data from Metrohm’s analysers allow operators to fine-tune the dosing of coagulants like aluminium or iron salts, thereby optimising phosphorus precipitation without wasting chemicals.
The continuous online monitoring provided by Metrohm’s analysers ensures that WWTPs can keep a close eye on critical levels throughout the entire treatment process. These systems can monitor multiple streams simultaneously, giving operators a comprehensive view of concentrations at various stages of treatment, from influent to treated effluent.
In addition to phosphorus control, Metrohm’s analysers are designed to support the effective management of nitrogen compounds. Nitrogen in the form of ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite must be carefully controlled to avoid toxic discharges and to prevent overloading in downstream ecosystems. Continuous monitoring of these compounds helps WWTPs optimise biological denitrification processes, ensuring efficient nitrogen removal while maintaining the health of the microbial populations responsible for this crucial step in wastewater treatment.
One of the standout features of Metrohm’s process analysers is their automation and integration capabilities. The analysers are equipped with automatic data logging, reporting, and alarm systems, making it easy for operators to track performance and respond to out-of-specification results. This level of automation not only improves operational efficiency but also simplifies compliance with environmental regulations. The data produced by these analysers can be seamlessly integrated into a plant’s control systems, enabling remote monitoring and reducing the need for manual intervention.
The ability to analyse unfiltered samples in real-time is hugely beneficial for wastewater treatment plants looking to reduce operational costs while maintaining high performance. By eliminating the need for pre-filtration, Metrohm’s analysers simplify the sampling process and minimise the risk of sample contamination, ensuring that the data collected accurately reflects the conditions within the treatment system. This leads to better process control, reduced chemical use, and lower maintenance requirements, resulting in significant cost savings for treatment plants.
Providing real-time, continuous monitoring of ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, and phosphorus in unfiltered samples allows WWTPs to optimise their operations, reduce costs, and protect the environment.
Read more: metrohm.com/en_gb/products/process-analyzers or contact
info@metrohm.co.uk
