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Collect Automates 5210b - 5-Day Biochemical Oxygen Demand
Overview
Collect includes an out-of-the-box automation method to automate the 5-day Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) test, interfacing with any dissolved oxygen (DO) meter and conforms to the 5210b Standard Method.
What is Collect?
The Collect software provides a direct connection between instruments and devices with serial RS232 or TCP/IP Ethernet ports and interfaces them to Any Windows program that requires their results such as Excel®, Database Applications, Files, or Data Management systems.
More than a simple interfacing program, Collect stores all Method setup details such as the Method templates to be used for each analyses and their corresponding instrument interfaces allowing for multiple simultaneous connections.
Collect is a powerful, highly configurable, and yet, incredibly easy to setup and use application for automating data collection, experiments, routine monitoring or analyses.
The software includes an library of interfaces to support over 500 different instrument and device models and over 20 ready to use Methods for weighing applications, electrochemistry, photometry, environmental monitoring, barcode and label sheet creation, point of care instrument interfaces and more. New Methods and Instrument interfaces are easily created or downloaded from Labtronics Collect user base community web pages.
This Application Note discusses the 5-Day BOD Method that is installed with the software.
Application
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) is the amount of oxygen that is consumed by microorganisms during the decomposition of organic materials. This analyses is most commonly used by municipal Water, Wastewater labs or Industries required to monitor their Plants water effluent. Samples of the water are taken and different volumes of each sample are added typically to three, 300 mL or 60 mL bottles and topped up with deionized or distilled water. Seed (a quantity of microorganisms) is sometimes added to samples to ensure a BOD depletion takes place and is corrected for in the final results. The Initial dissolved oxygen (DO) value for each sample in the batch is recorded and the bottles capped and placed in an incubator for 5 days. On the 5th day, the bottles are removed from the incubator and the Final DO values are taken. The BOD result for each sample can then be calculated. The 5-Day BOD test is vital to ensuring the health of local water supplies by ensuring only safe levels of microorganisms exist.
Collect: 5-Day BOD Method
For each batch of samples a Collect Method template is set up to include the replicate sample ID’s and enter the batch details such as sample bottle size, when and where the samples were taken, as well as any seed values needed for depletion corrections.
Run Details User Prompt
Running the Initials
Upon launching Collect’s BOD method, the workbook is automatically opened and Collect’s floating Interface Toolbar is added (shown at the right) above the worksheet. Selecting the ‘Initial DO’ button displays a list of its operations which allow the ‘Run Details’ to be entered and then Initial DO’s taken.
Floating Interface/Command Toolbar
When the ‘Initial’ operation is selected, the Initials User Prompt (shown below) is opened allowing the Operator to insert the sample information into the run.
The sample ID and its volume are recorded and default seed volume (as entered in the Run Details prompt) and pH automatically displayed. The ‘Run’ button activates the interface with the DO meter. When Collect records the stable a DO value for the sample, it also adds the Time stamp to each reading as well as the pH and water temperature output by the YSI DO meters and writes all the sample data to the workbook.
Initials User Prompt
Once the samples Initial values are completed, the workbook is saved using its ‘Save As Now’ button and is automatically stored to the Method folder with a Date and Time stamp as the file name.
 Running the Finals
After allowing the samples to be incubated for 5 days, the final readings are ready to be taken to determine their BOD of. The Method opens the Initials workbook for the batch that was saved 5 days ago and the Final DO values for each sample are ‘Run’ and recorded through Collect’s interface with the DO meters.
Finals User Prompt
Through the use of formulas within the Excel® and Macros embedded within Collect’s interfaces, the depletion, seed correction and average BOD of each sample is calculated and added to the Workbook; the averages will even be calculated if the sample ID’s are not grouped together. In addition, if a sample fails its low dissolved oxygen level limit, low depletion level limit, or failed both it is immediately flagged alerting the user.
Methods Completed Workbook
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Conclusion
With the Collect’s 5-Day BOD Method, users are able to easily record, analyze and report results from the test samples, simplifying the process and eliminating manual data entry and transcription errors. The method is designed to automatically calculate, correct and flag samples according to the 5210b Standard Method.
Starting at only $495 for a single instrument license copy, and includes over 20 ready to use Methods for weighing applications, electrochemistry, photometry, environmental monitoring, barcode and label sheet creation, point of care instrument interfaces, Collect gives its users a powerful automation platform at a very attractive price.
For more information on Collect and how it can be used to create automated Method procedures and instrument interfaces for your organization, contact Labtronics today.
RELATED INFORMATION
Free RS232 Software Trial - Try the full version of Collect
Free for 30-days!
Data Acquisition, Integration & Control Software Overview
Application Notes
List of Features
Overview Presentation
Buy Collect - Only $495 - Multi-license discounts available
Instrument and Data Acquisition Library |
|
|
