Features of a Wastewater Microscopic Evaluation
The purpose of a microscopic evaluation is to determine the biological health of a wastewater treatment system. The results can be used to help predict Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), TOC, and TSS results or to determine whether or not to supplement the system with nutrients or bacteria after an environmental upset. The results will also help to determine the degree of toxicity caused by an upset condition.
The biological health of a wastewater system can be determined microscopically by observing several features of the samples. Floc is an aggregation of bacteria that produce a polysaccharide coating which enables them to adsorb to chemical contaminants, which they will later degrade for food, and to adere to each other.