title: Characterization of activated sludge abnormalities by image analysis and chemometric techniques.
abstract: This work focuses on the use of chemometric techniques for identifying activated sludge process abnormalities. Chemometric methods combined with image analysis can improve activated sludge systems monitoring and minimize the need of analytical measurements. For that purpose data was collected from aggregated and filamentous biomass, biomass composition on Gram-positive/Gram-negative bacteria and viable/damaged bacteria, and operational parameters. Principal component analysis (PCA) was subsequently applied to identify activated sludge abnormalities, allowing the identification of several disturbances, namely filamentous bulking, pinpoint flocs formation, and zoogleal bulking as well as normal conditions by grouping the collected samples in corresponding clusters.
authors.affiliation: IBB-Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centre of Biological Engineering, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal.
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Mesquita
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Amaral
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Ferreira
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D012722:Sewage / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D012722:Sewage