Installation incorporates automated analysis into other operations, allowing operators to monitor plant performance when unmanned, ensuring the effluent limits for arsenic in wastewater are met
Environmental and diagnostic specialists, MTI diagnostics has completed a stringent evaluation of its OVA 5000 system at the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Vineland Chemical Company Superfund site in Cumberland County, New Jersey, for 24 hour on-line monitoring of arsenic in the effluent from the waste water treatment plant.
The EPA is responsible for the cleanup of the site while the US Army Corps have evaluated the instrument performance in waste water.
The purpose of the instrument installation is to incorporate the automated analysis into their other automated operations, allowing the operators to monitor plant performance when it is unmanned, while ensuring the effluent limits for arsenic in the wastewater are met.
Large scale arsenic contamination of the 54-acre site stems from the disposal of waste associated with herbicide manufacturing.
Although the extent of the contamination is unknown, run-off from the site has contaminated a local river and lake, as well as a large area of groundwater.
The whole remediation process is expected to last 30 years, beginning in 2000.
During the evaluation period, the system was required to operate continuously for 60 days with no failures.
Sample testing was performed in duplicate during the 60 day period.
Importantly, OVA 5000 results met the required standard - within an acceptable range when compared to the reference method used at a specified off-site laboratory.
