Quality Instrumentation for the Life Sciences

FishToximeter II

Fish Toximeter II
For the continuous analysis of fish behavioral patterns for the detection of toxins in water

The bbe FishToximeter II observes the behavior of fish in a tank under the influence of a stream of “sample” water with the aid of a camera and continuous computer-assisted image analysis. This highly sensitive instrument is designed to detect toxic substances in e.g. rivers, reservoirs, water supply systems, water treatment plant intakes, and sewers.

It provides real-time detection of willful or accidental damage to water systems such as the drinking water supply and is capable of long-term monitoring in unmanned stations.

The FishToximeter II is based on the development of Extended Dynamic Daphnia Tests (EDDT), a proven detection method relied upon throughout the world. Continuous biological monitoring with the bbe FishToximeter II enables rapid detection of toxic substances in water and provides a real-time, online early warning system.

bbe Software 
The integrated software recognizes significant changes in the behavioral data of the fish obtained from the observations and recording of the fish’s movements. Toxic events are indicated as “alarms”. A statistical approach enables alarm recognition even under difficult realistic conditions such as “noise” or slow drift in the measured curve(s). Alarm sensitivity can be pre-defined as well as easily adjusted to specific requirements.

Product Features

  • 24/7 observation of drinking water quality
  • Autonomous fish behavior monitoring
  • Online monitoring of freshwater sources with alarm verification in case of pollution
  • Low consumable costs
  • Integrated automatic flowmeter
  • Automatic feeder and aerator
  • External heater for keeping the temperature suitable for fishes
  • Dichlorination system for chlorinated water
  • Reliable Early Alarm System
  • Broad range of output per request
  • Easy to integrate with telecommunication system
  • Continuous monitoring
  • Established technique
  • Low maintenance
  • User friendly

Applications

  • Drinking water supply network
  • Water works (dam intake)
  • Public building drinking water
  • River, lake, and groundwater well
  • Industrial and municipal water
  • Drinking Water Treatment Plant
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ToxProtect II

online water toxicity monitoring
Quick and reliable detection of toxins in the water supply

The bbe ToxProtect II is an automated monitoring system to protect a drinking water supply from accidental or malicious contamination due to harmful substances. The characteristic of these threats is a relatively high concentration of dangerous substances that occurs suddenly. Such situations must be detected quickly and safely. False alarms are reduced to an absolute minimum—improving the trust of the operators and reducing unnecessary expenditure.

The Measurement Principle

The ToxProtect II continuously monitors the swimming activity of up to 10 fish in an aquarium fed with drinking or mains water. Fish are sensitive to the presence of toxins, exhibiting a change in their behavior.  The movements of the fish cause interruptions in the instrument’s light barriers which register the entire volume of the aquarium. Fish activity (interrupts per minute per fish) is calculated from these interruptions. An alarm verification system is activated if values fall below a predetermined threshold.

Toxicity Detection

The ToxProtect II detects changes in the swimming activity of the fish due to intoxication and evaluates the measurement data for alarm events. The ToxProtect II detects for example the respiratory toxin potassium cyanide within 10 minutes at a concentration of 1 ppm.

Alarm Verification

In order to prevent false alarms due to naturally occurring variations in fish behavior, the ToxProtect II implements a verification system by decreasing the illumination (turning the light off) inside the aquarium during the verification period. Under normal conditions, this would lead to a dramatic increase in fish activity. However, under toxic conditions, this may be different. Hence, monitoring the variation in activity during modified illumination makes it possible to automatically accept or reject the initial alarm.

PC Software – exclusive data evaluation

One or several ToxProtect II instruments can be monitored remotely by transferring data to the optional PC software via LAN, GSM modem, or the Internet. The software offers several possibilities for the display and analysis of all measurement values. It is also possible to define different parameter settings and check the current status of the instrument remotely.

ToxProtect II software

Product Features

  • Water quality monitoring
  • Sensitive to a wide range of toxins
  • Rapid detection of pollutants
  • Array of 64 light barriers to detect fish movements
  • 30 light barriers to detect immobile fish
  • Use of proven test organisms
  • Automated online processes
  • Alarm verification system
  • Flow control
  • Temperature control
  • Overflow detector
  • Reliable data analysis
  • Access via LAN, internet or GSM
  • PC data evaluation software
  • Dechlorination option

Applications

  • Municipal drinking water uptakes and distribution
  • Hotels and leisure centers
  • Hospitals
  • Medical facilities
  • Apartment complexes
  • Public buildings
  • Wells
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AlgaeToximeter II

Algae Toximeter from bbe Moldaenke
An instrument for the fast and sensitive detection of toxic substances in water

The bbe AlgaeToximeter II continuously monitors water for the presence of toxic substances. Standardized algae are mixed with the sample water and the instrument detects the photosynthetic activity of the algae. Damage to the algae, caused e.g. by herbicides, causes a reduction in algae activity and activates an alarm above a pre-defined threshold.

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Product Features

  • 1-2 chamber systems with up to 10 daphnia each
  • Sample preparation: ultrasonic filter unit
  • Automatic daphnia feeding with ready prepared algae food
  • Compact housing: IP54 security protection class
  • Separate compartment for flow through cell and electrical components
  • Modern touchscreen PC
  • Alarm evaluation with bbe alarm database software
  • Hardware diagnostic
  • Remote control via software (Optional)

Applications

  • Drinking water supply
  • Dam monitoring
  • Waterway analysis and assessment
  • General environmental assessment
  • Intake monitoring
  • Chemical analysis
  • Limnological work
  • Research and education

DaphniaToximeter II

Daphnia Toximeter II
Sensitive detection of toxic substances in water via computer-assisted digital image analysis

The bbe DaphniaToximeter II observes daphnids, commonly known as “water fleas”, under the influence of constantly running sample water. Based on the Extended Dynamic Daphnia Test, bbe developed a new sensitive method to detect hazardous compounds in water from rivers (source-water protection), plants, distribution systems, and production drains to preserve human health and to monitor water.

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How the DaphniaToximeter II works:

Product Features

  • 1-2 chamber systems with up to 10 daphnia each
  • Sample preparation: ultrasonic filter unit
  • Automatic daphnia feeding with ready prepared algae food
  • Compact housing: IP54 security protection class
  • Separate compartment for flow through cell and electrical components
  • Modern touchscreen PC
  • Alarm evaluation with bbe alarm database software
  • Hardware diagnostic
  • Remote control via software (Optional)

Applications

  • Drinking water supply
  • Dam monitoring
  • Waterway analysis and assessment
  • General environmental monitoring
  • Intake assessment
  • Toxicological evaluation
  • Limnological work