Automated manometric method to assess anaerobic toxicity of chemicals

Industrial additives eventually used for different purposes (antifoaming, cleaning, bactericides, antiscale, etc) are discharged to the wastewater treatment plant. The anaerobic toxicity of these commercial products is not provided by suppliers. A new manometric method is developed and tested to evaluate anaerobic toxicity or inhibition using four different commercial products. Antifoaming Cleron 6 (50–200 ppm), bactericide Divosan-forte (0.05–1.0% v/v), bleach (0.1–1.0% v/v) and cleaning agent Topax 66 (0.10–1.0% v/v). According to the different methods proposed in the literature, from the methane production rate, it is possible to calculate both methanogenic activity evolution and final substrate removal and quantify the potential inhibitory effect of commercial additives. The experimental method is simple and reliable.