A recent study involving the use of Fluid Imaging's FlowCAM particle monitoring system shows a correlation between cyanobacteria levels in source water and taste and odour events in drinking water.
Conducted by a team of researchers from the Arizona State University School of Life Sciences, the study found that the level of blue-green algae affected the concentration of 2-methylisoborneol (MIB), the compound frequently associated with taste and odour events, and concluded that these events may be averted or minimised by monitoring reservoirs, lakes, rivers and other source-water bodies for changes in the population density of filamentous cyanobacteria.
Funded by the American Water Works Association (AWWA) Technical and Education Council and sponsored by its Water Quality and Technology Division (WQTD) Taste and Odor Committee, the researchers analysed water sampled from 11 locations in the Salt River watershed and the Phoenix metropolitan canal system over a two-month period using both the automated FlowCAM particle imaging and analysis instrumentation and the epifluorescence microscopy manual.
Comparing particle counts from both types of instrumentation from each location in a time series, the study concluded that peak algal bloom conditions can act as a precursor for taste and odour events and determined that the FlowCAM may be used as an early-warning system to trigger the implementation of preventative treatment plans.
In comparing the manual and automated technologies, the report stated that the FlowCAM produced approximate cell counts in 10-30 minutes, depending on the sample volume, while permitting the identification of multiple algal species, compared with least an hour or more required for microscopy.
The FlowCAM's ability to be operated largely unattended by staff with minimal training and to archive each digital image for further analysis were also cited as key advantages in the report.
The FlowCAM automatically takes high-resolution, digital images of individual particles and microscopic organisms, measures each one based on measurement parameters and saves the images and data for identification, analysis and collaborative review.
The Massachussetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Navy currently use the FlowCAM for water quality analysis.
