Bioelectronic complex is intended for carrying out research on environmental biomonitoring to provide information, in particular real-time data, on changes in the condition of the environment. The complex is equipped with a set of ecotrons intended for long-term maintenance of marine, freshwater, and terrestrial invertebrates with hard outer covering (shell-bearing mollusks and crustaceans):
- "polar" ecotron (operating range for water temperature no narrower than 4 to 12°C);
- "moderate" ecotron (controlled water temperature range for marine and freshwater aquariums no narrower than 16 to 21°C);
- "tropical" ecotron (operating range for water temperature no narrower than 22 to 28°C)
- The bioelectronic complex can be used for:
- biomonitoring of the overall toxicity of water and air by real-time measurement and analysis of the functional state of benthic invertebrates with hard outer covering as assessed from heart rate variability and/or behavioral activity, using a fiber-optic photoplethysmograph;
- biomonitoring of the overall toxicity of water based on real-time measurement and analysis of the functional state of bivalve mollusks as assessed from the valve gape, using a fiber-optic photoplethysmograph;
- test object: shell-bearing mollusks and crustaceans, snails (Achatina).
Includes:
- A station for bioelectronic monitoring of the total water toxicity
- A station for bioelectronic monitoring of the total air toxicity
- An automatic station for continuous environmental monitoring
- A system for bioelectronic monitoring of the water quality based on measuring the valve gapes in bivalve molluscs "Temperate climate”, "polar", and "tropical" ecotron facilities with water temperature controlled marine and freshwater aquaria inhabitat by appropriate marine and freshwater biocenoses. Laboratory facilities for measuring the invertebrates’ cardiac activity parameters.
- Laboratory facilities for biochemical studies of invertebrates
With this equipment it is possible to conduct basic research in the field of environmental physiology and ecotoxicology of benthic invertebrates and to assess the biological effects associated with human impacts on aquatic ecosystems. The use of biological methods allows the toxicological risks levels for natural and biologically treated wastewater to be objectively assessed in the real time.
The original fiber-optic bioelectronic methods and systems developed by the authors of this project underlay the elaboration of innovative technologies for real-time industrial biomonitoring of the environmental safety of natural and treated wastewater, which have gained widespread adoption.