Fluid Imaging Technologies’ FlowCAM will be used by the US Army Corps of Engineers to detect algal cells in source water.
Fluid Imaging Technologies is supplying the US Army Corps of Engineers with its automated FlowCAM particle imaging and analysis system.
To be deployed in the Huntington District, Huntington, West Virginia, the FlowCAM is to speed the detection and identification of Cyanobacteria and other algal cells in source water and permit advisories to be issued to the public more quickly than possible when using manual microscopy.
The Huntington District Corps of Engineers manages 311 navigable miles of the Ohio River in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio, plus nine major tributaries and operates 35 multi-purpose reservoirs that provide drinking water to the region.
While the large majority of these reservoirs have never experienced toxin producing algal blooms, an increasing awareness of harmful algal blooms and their role in public safety were factors in the purchase, according to Jonathan Dawson, sales manager, municipal market for Fluid Imaging Technologies.
“Using a microscope typically requires at least a week after sampling to document the presence of algal cells and a trained phycologist to identify the species, provide a count and determine if advisories are needed,” said Dawson. “If that knowledge can be provided faster, then the water quality department will be in a better position to provide information to the public.”
The FlowCAM automatically detects, images, measures and identifies thousands of individual particles and microorganisms in a sample in seconds and saves the images and data for analysis.
