Faculty Mentor Information
Dr. Sondra Miller, Boise State University; Gregor Posadas, Boise State University; and Roy Henson, Boise State University
Presentation Date
7-15-2026
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants use complex operational systems to clean wastewater, with microorganisms being a core component of transforming polluted water into clean water. This study is based on a newly researched technology that infuses high concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO) into return activated sludge, which enhances microbial activity and improves nutrient removal processes. The DO infusion system was installed and tested in a wastewater treatment facility in Greenleaf, Idaho. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) was monitored as a biohealth indicator to assess the performance of the DO infusion system in terms of supporting microbial activity in biological wastewater treatment. Findings show that monitoring ATP levels of the microbes may be a valuable indicator of sludge health and performance. Further research was conducted to closely monitor ATP levels using a LuminUltra QG21W ATP testing kit, a tool that produces three key pieces of data on the biological activity of wastewater samples: cellular, dissolved, and total ATP. ATP monitoring provides valuable insight into microbial responses that cannot be obtained through dissolved oxygen measurements alone. These findings suggest that ATP-based monitoring is a significant tool in improving wastewater treatment processes and plant operations.
ATP-Based Monitoring to Indicate Microbial Performance in Wastewater Treatment Plants
Wastewater treatment plants use complex operational systems to clean wastewater, with microorganisms being a core component of transforming polluted water into clean water. This study is based on a newly researched technology that infuses high concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO) into return activated sludge, which enhances microbial activity and improves nutrient removal processes. The DO infusion system was installed and tested in a wastewater treatment facility in Greenleaf, Idaho. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) was monitored as a biohealth indicator to assess the performance of the DO infusion system in terms of supporting microbial activity in biological wastewater treatment. Findings show that monitoring ATP levels of the microbes may be a valuable indicator of sludge health and performance. Further research was conducted to closely monitor ATP levels using a LuminUltra QG21W ATP testing kit, a tool that produces three key pieces of data on the biological activity of wastewater samples: cellular, dissolved, and total ATP. ATP monitoring provides valuable insight into microbial responses that cannot be obtained through dissolved oxygen measurements alone. These findings suggest that ATP-based monitoring is a significant tool in improving wastewater treatment processes and plant operations.