Rapid activated sludge respiration inhibition test performed by CO2 producing rate using a carbon dioxide sensor

The rapid activated sludge inhibition test (rapid ASRI) is one of the promising bioassays to evaluate environmental risk to the ecosystem caused by various pollutants. To improve the sensitivity and stability of ASRI, the CO2 producing rate (CPR) using a carbon dioxide gas sensor was employed to examine the respiration activity of activated sludge and to compare it to that by the conventional activated sludge respiration inhibition test using oxygen uptake rate (OUR) by EC50 values derived from dose response curve. Detection of respiratory activity based on CPR has higher reliability and sensitivity than that of OUR. It should be noted that the sensitivity of CPR for evaluating toxicity is sufficiently high in terms of derived dose response curve of some model environmental pollutants and the resultant EC50 values.