71% of earth’s surface is covered with water found in rivers, lakes and oceans. Due to massive urbanization and industrialization, these resources are often polluted with garbage and industrial waste among other things. There are several ways of cleaning this wastewater. One such method is bioaugmentation.
Bioaugmentation is the process of using selected microorganisms to biologically clean up a specified contaminated area, such as soil or water. The practice of utilizing specific micro organisms to carry out chemical transformations has been applied in brewing, pharmaceutical and dairy industries. Microorganisms are critical components in the treatment of municipal and industrial wastewater.
In the treatment of wastewater, microorganisms (mainly bacteria) use the soluble organic matter in the waste stream as a food source. The bacteria consume the organic compounds and convert them into carbon dioxide, water and energy to produce new cells. Ultimately the soluble pollutants are converted into soluble biomass, which can be removed mechanically from the waste stream and sent to disposal.
Bioaugmentation degrades fats, oils, starch proteins, cellulose, industrial waste and grease, and also lowers sludge. The use of these microbes is non-hazardous and non-corrosive due to its nature. It even improves plant efficiency by elevating resistance to toxic shocks (sudden introduction of non-native toxic compounds), removal of compounds, and other common plant issues. Bioaugmentation has been practiced since the 1960s. Because of frequent misapplication of additives or poor documentation of results, the technology has been regarded as less than specific.
Bioaugmentation products
Typical bioaugmentation products consist of several strains of microorganisms, usually bacteria or fungi. The organisms are isolated from nature and are not genetically altered in any way. They are selected on the basis of accelerated reproduction rates and their ability to perform specific functions such as good floc forming capabilities to enhance settling or the ability to degrade specific compounds. The products are sold in a variety of forms with dried organisms on bran carrier and liquid products.
Benefits of bioaugmentation
Bioaugmentation has proven beneficial in several areas.
- It increases the microbiological numbers and diversity to achieve desired results.
- Many industrial waste plants have difficulties in achieving nitrification or toxic shocks but by regularly adding nitrifying bacteria, proper population for ammonia removal can be maintained.
- Some microbial accelerators can even control the E-coli level in sewage or effluent without using bleaching powder or chlorine.
- It helps in reduce odour.
- It avoids third party involvement as bioaugmentation can be done in-house by trained personnel.
As environmental restrictions tighten, many industrial waste treatment plant operators will be faced with compliance levels that will seriously challenge the capabilities of their existing wastewater treatment plants. In some cases, bioaugmentation can be a cost-effective, short or medium term fix to keep them in compliance until unit system changes can be implemented. In other instances, bioaugmentation can also be the long term solution because of the lack of capital investments of mechanical solutions.
Download the detailed note by Indranil Bhattacharya from Unitech Water Technologies Pvt. Ltd for more technical information on bioaugmentation.