BIOREMEDIATION APPLICATION FOR BIOREMEDIATION APPLICATION FOR INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENT TREATMENTINDUSTRIAL EFFLUENT TREATMENT

BYBY

DR. SEEMA JILANIDR. SEEMA JILANIASSOCIATE PROFESSORASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

TEXTILE INSTITUTE OF PAKISTANTEXTILE INSTITUTE OF PAKISTAN

ContentsContents Introduction Concern Study objectives & benefits Industrial Contaminants & their Impact Treatment Technologies Bioremediation Technology Bioremediation Principles & Mechanism Factors Influencing Bioremediation Advantages & Disadvantages of Bioremediation Conclusions

IntroductionIntroduction Increased urbanization and industrialization has given rise

to serious water pollution and environmental problems. Discharge of industrial effluent as well as chemical spills,

domestic sewage, and pesticides use are the main cause of environmental pollution.

Manufacturing & processing industries that have led to serious environmental contamination includes tanneries, fertilizers, textile, refineries, chemicals, vegetable oils, paper and pulp, sugar and food industries.

Cont…….

IntroductionIntroduction Karachi, a hub of industrial activity, houses seven major

industrial estates in Korangi, Landhi, SITE, Federal B Area, North Karachi, Superhighway and Port Qasim.

At present, Karachi coastal region has become a dumping ground of hazardous waste, receiving huge quantities of untreated domestic & industrial wastewater through Lyari & Malir Rivers.

Since most industries have no treatment facility or have grossly inadequate arrangements.

Cont…….

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IntroductionIntroduction Accelerated rate of fresh water contamination in the

city is divulging the problem of water scarcity. Continued practice will ultimately threatens fresh

water availability and food security for future as well as health hazards and economic losses.

With new regulations and a greater environmental concern, industrial effluent treatment need especial attention.

Current ConcernCurrent Concern Contaminated water is responsible for over 12 million

deaths per year world over. More than 40% hospital beds in Pakistan are occupied

by patients with water related diseases. According to Economic Survey of Pakistan 2008-09,

economic losses due to water pollution in the country are estimated at Rs.109.5 billion per year.

While National Drinking Water Policy Document 2009 mentions the same at about Rs.112 billion per year, over Rs.300 million a day, in terms of health costs and lost earnings.

Water Pollution in KarachiWater Pollution in Karachi Karachi, population over 18 million discharged around 446

MGD of wastewater. About 70% untreated wastewater discharged into the

Arabian sea. All most all chemical waste are dumped untreated into

storm-drains, open nallahs or in the lyari and malir rivers which ultimately fall into the Arabian Sea.

The coastal zone, extended up to 135 Km, is exposed to heavy pollution load of both domestic and industrial origin.

Cont……

Water Pollution in KarachiWater Pollution in Karachi In Karachi, over 120 million gallons of wastewater

containing hazardous chemicals (produced by 4,000 industrial units, 2,000 legal and the same number of illegal

industries) is being discharged into the sea without proper treatment.

Preventing water pollution is critically important to ensure sustainability of the locale’s development.

Aim & Objectives Aim & Objectives To provide an overview of bioremediation technique

----- an environmentally sound, economical and sustainable technique for industrial effluent treatment.

To discuss the importance of microorganisms and the essential factors required for industrial effluent treatment.

Overall aim is to provide scientific information about remediation of hazardous waste in soil and water environments.

BenefitsBenefits The information would be valuable to scientists who

are trying to develop method for the treatment of toxic compounds.

The study would be helpful in improving the design and operation of biomechanical treatment system used for degradation of toxic compounds.

Further, the study may contribute to the improvement of public health, sanitation, soil integrity and the conservation of fresh water resources.

Wastewater ContaminantsWastewater Contaminants

Contaminants of concern in wastewater treatment

suspended solidssuspended solids

biodegradable organicsbiodegradable organics

pathogenspathogens

nutrientsnutrients

priority pollutantspriority pollutants(EPA designated toxics)(EPA designated toxics)

refractory organicsrefractory organics(organics that don’t biodegrade)(organics that don’t biodegrade)

heavy metalsheavy metals

dissolved inorganicsdissolved inorganics

Contaminants ImpactContaminants Impact

Toxicants such as detergents, fertilizers, metals, pesticides and many other chemicals lead to progressive deterioration of environmental quality.

These chemical compounds may be toxic, mutagenic, carcinogenic and may be bioaccumulated or biomagnified by the biota.

Hazardous compounds persists because environmental conditions are not appropriate for the microbial activity that results in biochemical degradation.

Contaminants ImpactContaminants ImpactContaminants Impacts on the environmentsuspended solids lead to sludge deposition and

anaerobic conditions

biodegradable lead to oxygen depletion andorganics odors problem

pathogens transmission of communicable diseases

nutrients (N,P) causes eutrophication, oxygen

depletion and toxicity problem

Cont…………

Contaminants ImpactContaminants ImpactContaminants Impacts on the environmentnon-biodegradable resist conventional treatmentOrganics (e.g. detergents, phenols, pesticides).

heavy metals Consequences for disposal and reuse of sludge & wastewater.

dissolved agricultural crop productioninorganics as well as protein production

in aquaculture (fish/duckweed) might reduced.

Treatment ImportanceEfficient and reliable method for industrial effluent

treatment are needed to prevent water pollution to conserve essential natural resource to protect human health and ecosystem to comply with environmental protection regulations.

Treatment OptionsTreatment OptionsVarious conventional methods used for decontamination

of toxic wastes are: Activated carbon adsorption Chemical oxidization Incineration Direct photolysis Biological degradation (Bioremediation)

Bioremediation TechnologyBioremediation Technology Of all the technologies that have been investigated,

bioremediation has been found to be the most cost effective and environmental friendly treatment option for many environmental pollutants.

Bioremediation is a pollution control technology that uses biological systems to catalyze the degradation or transformation of various toxic chemicals to less harmful forms.

Bioremediation Technology Bioreactors technologically are the most

sophisticated category of environmental bioremediation.

Bioreactors offer a much faster means of waste biodegradation than land treatment and more control over reaction conditions and effluent quality than simple biofilters.

Major PlayersMajor Players In bioremediation, microorganisms are used to destroy

or immobilize waste materials. Microorganisms include:

Bacteria (aerobic and anaerobic) Fungi Algae Actinomycetes (filamentous bacteria).

Bioremediation Principle

Bioremediation is based on the idea that organisms are capable to uptake things from the environment and use it as food to enhance their growth and metabolism.

With this unique characteristic lay the fundamental principle of bioremediation, to use microorganism to take in contaminated substances from the environment or convert it to a nontoxic form.

Bioremediation Process1. Microbes releases enzyme to break down the contaminant

into digestible pieces.

2. The contaminant of organic substances is ingest and digest as food along with other energy source by the cell.

GOAL

Degrade organic substances that are hazardous to living organisms and

convert the organic contaminants into inert products.

How does bioremediation work ?

Chemicals present at contaminated sites become part of the metabolic process. For example, Hydrocarbon oxidizing organisms develop on oil films. Microbes attach to insoluble oil droplets and begin the

process of decomposition. Various bacteria produce surfactants that aid in the

biodegradation of fuels. The surfactant helps to decrease the surface tension and disperse the oil to allow maximum access to biodegrading microorganisms.

How does bioremediation work?How does bioremediation work? Some time toxic intermediates form during microbial

transformations Biodegradation involves the breakdown of organic

compounds either through biotransformation into less complex metabolites or through mineralization into inorganic minerals, H2O, CO2 or CH4.

e.g. formation of vinylchloride during degradation of perchlorethylene.

Heavy Metal TreatmentHeavy Metal Treatment The recovery of metals by microbes or microbial products

is more advanced. Fungi produce several extracellular products which can

complex or precipitate heavy metals. For example, many fungi and yeast release high affinity

Fe-binding compounds that chelate iron. The Fe3+ chelates which are formed outside the cell wall

are taken up into the cell. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae removal of metals is done by

their precipitation as sulphides e.g. Cu2+ is precipitated as CuS.

The best-known example of microbial metal metabolism is the mining microbe Thiobacillus ferrooxidans. This bacterium and other related species derive energy

by utilizing metallic sulfides.

Factors Influencing Bioremediation For bioremediation of harmful chemicals following factors

are required to be monitored in the effluent: Required microorganism Temperature pH level Dissolved oxygen concentration Inorganic nutrient.These conditions allow microbes to grow and multiply—and eat more

chemicals. When conditions are not right, microbes grow too slowly or die or they can create more harmful chemicals.

Advantages of BioremediationAdvantages of Bioremediation Ecologically sound, a natural process

Target chemicals are detoxified

Economical

On-site elimination of waste

Disadvantages of BioremediationDisadvantages of Bioremediation Research is needed

Slow process

Toxic by-products are produced

ConclusionsConclusions Bioremediation continues to be the favored approach

for processing biological wastes. Bioremediation utilizes microbes such as bacteria,

fungi, yeast, algae, and some plants. Three categories of bioremediation techniques have

been identified: in situ land treatment (treatment of contaminated material on site), biofiltration, and bioreactors.

Bioremediation is highly efficient system, if proper conditions are maintained example pH, temperature, DO, nutrients.

Bioremediation is cost-efficient and helps chemical and physical methods of managing wastes and environmental pollutants.

Good quality and quantity of Good quality and quantity of freshwater is a key to sustainable freshwater is a key to sustainable

socio-economic developmentsocio-economic development