BIOREMEDIATION APPLICATION FOR
INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENT TREATMENT
BY
DR. SEEMA JILANI
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
TEXTILE INSTITUTE OF PAKISTAN
Contents
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Introduction
Concern
Study objectives & benefits
Industrial Contaminants & their Impact
Treatment Technologies
Bioremediation Technology
Bioremediation Principles & Mechanism
Factors Influencing Bioremediation
Advantages & Disadvantages of Bioremediation
Conclusions
Introduction
 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…….
Introduction
 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…….
.
Introduction
 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 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 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 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
 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.
Benefits
 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 Contaminants
suspended solids
biodegradable organics
pathogens
Contaminants of
concern in
wastewater
treatment
nutrients
priority pollutants
(EPA designated toxics)
refractory organics
(organics that don’t biodegrade)
heavy metals
dissolved inorganics
Contaminants 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 Impact
Contaminants
Impacts on the environment
suspended solids
lead to sludge deposition and
anaerobic conditions
biodegradable
organics
lead to oxygen depletion and
odors problem
pathogens
transmission of communicable
diseases
nutrients (N,P)
causes eutrophication, oxygen
depletion and toxicity problem
Cont…………
Contaminants Impact
Contaminants
Impacts on the environment
non-biodegradable
Organics
resist conventional treatment
heavy metals
Consequences for disposal and
reuse of sludge & wastewater.
dissolved
inorganics
agricultural crop production
as well as protein production
in aquaculture (fish/duckweed)
might reduced.
(e.g. detergents, phenols, pesticides).
Treatment Importance
Efficient 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 Options
Various conventional methods used for decontamination
of toxic wastes are:
 Activated carbon adsorption
 Chemical oxidization
 Incineration
 Direct photolysis
 Biological degradation (Bioremediation)
Bioremediation 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 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 Process
1. 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?
 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 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 Bioremediation
 Ecologically sound, a natural process
 Target chemicals are detoxified
 Economical
 On-site elimination of waste
Disadvantages of Bioremediation
 Research is needed
 Slow process
 Toxic by-products are produced
Conclusions
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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
freshwater is a key to sustainable
socio-economic development