Application of a bioluminescence ATP assay in brewery wastewater treatment studies

Abstract

Abstract The importance of having a rapid method for determining the viable biomass in activated‐sludge wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) for process control and development is well recognized. The firefly bioluminescence ATP assay has been proposed for this purpose. Such an assay using partially purified firefly luciferase and synthetic firefly luciferin for the bioluminescence reaction, a liquid scintillation counter in the out‐of‐coincidence mode as luminescence detector, and a sludge ATP extraction technique involving dimethyl sulfoxide at room temperature is described. Experiments with several pure bacteria cultures were done to demonstrate the feasibility of applying this assay to activated sludge to activated sludge WWTP investigation and control. The ATP content of samples taken from various points in a 350000 gal/day brewery activated‐sludge WWTP was monitored for 4.5 months. Good linear correlation between ATP and mixed‐liquor suspended solids, return sludge suspended solids, and effluent suspended solids were observed. Percentage viabilities of the various sludge samples were derived from the ATP results.