An organic pollution sensor based on surface photovoltage

A surface photovoltage (SPV) device, which is sensitive to surface pH. was applied to the fabrication of an organic pollution sensor. Trichosporon cutaneum, designated for use as a biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) sensor by the Japanese Industrial Standard, was employed as the immobilized biocatalyst. A flow cell of the system consists of an SPV device and a microbial membrane immobilized with T. cutaneum between membrane filters. The pH measurement by the SPV device and fabrication of SPV-based sensor is discussed and characterized by comparison with the 5 day BOD test (BOD5) and sensors used in the measurement of BOD (BODs). Response time was 25 min, and a microbial membrane can be used more than 14 weeks. Though there is a different substrate specificity, the system was applicable to BOD measurement of some real waste water and shows good agreement with BODS and BOD5. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.