Enhanced chemiluminescence as an indicator of water quality

The enhanced chemiluminescence test is based upon monitoring the emission o f light from an enhanced chemiluminescence reaction in the presence of an e nvironmental sample and comparing it with a similar reaction using a de-ion ized water control sample. The presence of polluting materials can be detec ted by changes in the intensity and the kinetics of light emission. This tr ial demonstrated that the effects of components within a sewage-works' effl uent are detected by enhanced chemiluminescence and that this test has mode rately close correlation with parallel bacterial determinations. A high cor relation was achieved between the performances of two commercially availabl e enhanced chemiluminescence reagents, and these reagents responded consist ently to the effects of a sewage-works' effluent on the quality of a small river.