Using Dynamic Light Scattering for Monitoring the Size of the Suspended Particles in Wastewater

A coherent light scattering experiment on wastewater samples extracted from several stages of water processing within a wastewater processing plant was carried out. The samples were allowed to sediment while they were the subject of a Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) measurement. The recorded time series were processed using an Artificial Neural Network based DLS procedure to produce the average diameter of the particles in suspension. The method, using a single physical procedure for monitoring the variation of the average diameter in time, indicates the dominant type of suspensions in water.