| Abstract: | Interferences by Volatile Substances in Measuring the Biological Oxygen Consumption Using the Sapromat Aerobic microbial degradation processes can be well monitored by means of the oxygen consumption. There are special analyzers for these measurements, such as the Sapromat produced by Voith GmbH Heidenheim, Germany. Interference occurs during investigations with (or in the presence of) volatile components of low water solubility, which appear in dissolved state or as an additional phase. Thus, the Sapromat records an apparent oxygen consumption without the participation of microorganisms which is in the order of usual BOD5-values or even above them and is attributable to physico-chemical reasons and the measuring system used. The present paper points out this phenomenon and investigates the reasons. These are demonstrated and discussed. The results emphasize the urgency of blanks in order to detect abiotic effects using the Sapromat. |
