AUTOMATED FISH VENTILATORY MONITORING FOR DISTINGUISHED DIFFERENT POLLUTANTS

THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THIS ENDEAVOR IS TO DEVELOP AN AUTOMATED AND CONTINUOUS MEANS OF MONITORING WATER QUALITY, UTILIZING FISH AS THE SENSORS. THE SPECIFIC AIMS INCLUDE THE IMPROVEMENT OF COMPUTERIZED INSTRUMENTATION, AS WELL AS,TO QUANTIFY THE POTENTIAL FOR MONITORING THE FISH VENTILATORY PROFILES IN RESPONSE TO THE PRESENCE OF TOXICS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN IN A VARIETY OF COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS. SUCH APPLICATIONS COULD INCLUDE THE WASTEWATER DISCHARGERS, CHEMICAL MANUFACTURING AND PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES, AS WELL AS, PUBLIC DRINKING WATERSUPPLIES. IN THE PHASE II EFFORT, FISH VENTILATORY BEHAVIORS WILL BE CONTINUOUSLY MONITORED EMPLOYING NON-INVASIVE ELECTRODES AND MICRO-COMPUTER BASED DATA CAPTURE AND ANALYTICAL SYSTEMS. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT AUTOMATED ASSESSMENTS OF THE CHANGES IN INDIVIDUAL FISH BIO-ELECTRIC VENTILATORY SIGNAL PROFILES WILL BE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE TOXICANT CONCENTRATION PRESENT, AND THAT SUCH CHANGES WILL BE QUANTIFIABLE AFTER A RELATIVELY SHORTEXPOSURE PERIOD. IF SUCCESSFUL, THIS INNOVATIVE, YET INEXPENSIVE TOOL COULD BE PACKAGED INTO A SYSTEM REQUIRING AMINIMAL NEED FOR A SKILLED TECHNICIAN AS THE OPERATOR.