environmental bioprocesses

Environmental Management Systems:

Role of Bioprocesses

[Introduction to Environmental bioprocesses]

What is EMS (ISO 14001):

A system that enables any organization to:

* Manage environmental Impacts arising out of

its Activities, Products & Services;

*Ensures Compliance to Regulations;

Brings continual Improvement;

• Demonstrate

High Environmental Performance to others by

conforming to Policy, Objectives and Targets.

Examples of Bioprocesses in EMS:

1. Biological Wastewater Treatment systems; Solid

and Sludge Disposal by Composting, and Landfills Technology;

2.Biodegradation of xeno-biotic compounds;

3.Bioremediation; 4.Bio-fuel Technology to provide supplements to fossil fuels;

5.Bio-fertilizers, Bio-pesticides and Plant Biotechnology for Agriculture; 6.Bio-leaching of ores.

Environmental Biotechnology:

Efficient sewage treatment, deodorization of human excreta

Degradation of petroleum and management of oil spills

Detoxification of wastes and industrial effluents

Bio-control of plant disease and insect pests by using viruses, bacteria, amoebae, fungi etc.

Natural Sciences Perspective

Natural order:Food Webs and energy

Industrial and Scientific Revolutions:Population boom

Integral Life Cycle management

Biotechnology: New revolution

Natural Order: [Food Webs and Energy]

Our natural order of life on earth consists of

interactions that each organism (with our species

as most significant player) has with other

organisms and with its non-biotic environment.

Within the biosphere, organisms are arranged

into food webs. In such food webs, plants are the

primary producers, consumed by animals and other

organisms that may be devoured by predators.

Nutritional relationships form the energy basis for

the natural struggle for life.

If we consider the biosphere in terms of

the turnover of elements rather than in

terms of energy flow, then cyclical

patterns are observed.

Life on earth depends on

(1) chemical recycling; it is also dependent

on

(2) oneway energy flow through the

biosphere.

Summary of some critical problems that can occur in an ecological system:

1. Disruption of essential chemical cycles on a global or local scale:

a. Breaking the Cycle; e.g., desertification, global warming and change of climate

b. Changing the rate of cycling by chemical overloads or leaks in the cycle. e.g.,

upsetting oxygen and carbon cycle by deforestation, dumping industrial wastes in

lakes and rivers

.... critical problems that can occur in an ecological system:

2. Disruption of energy flow on a local or global scale:

a. Decreasing or increasing solar energy input by changing the properties of the local or global atmosphere. E.g., green house gases and ozone depleting chemical

release into atmosphere. b. Heat or entropy build up in the environment

due to use of too much energy, large scale combustion of fossil fuels for electricity generation.- we cannot ignore

the second law of thermodynamics.

Evolution of human society

in recent ten thousand years.

In early stage of hunting, primitive agriculture and

with skillful use of tools, manual and animal

nutrition derived power was the limiting energy

source. Organic molecules generated through

photosynthesis in plants with solar energy as the

source of energy, provided food for herbivorous

animal species (including humans) and animal

aided development.

The efficiency of energy conversions in nature is

high. A living organism not only produces

materials it needs to function and in doing this

uses energy in a highly efficient way. In times of a

positive energy balance energy is stored in

compounds such as starch, glycogen and lipids.

Each living organism degrades bio-molecules

that have fulfilled their biological function to

smaller units and subsequently uses these for

the production of new bio-molecules or as a

cellular fuel.

Microorganisms- built-in integrated recycling can

after the death of the organism, use the bio-

molecules present in an organism.

The non-bio-gradable nature of manufactured

products such as synthetic plastics, may cause

problems by accumulation in the environment.

Effect on Environment due to human activities:

Rapid evolution of human society took place in

recent ten thousand years. Several developments

have made an immense consequence on the

natural environment due to human activities.

In the last two hundred years, it has been

observed that the use of energy resources on a

large scale affects the general flow of matter in

the biosphere contributing to disturbances in

natural cycles, beyond earth’s bearing capability.

Resource depletion and pollution became a real

possibility.

Integral Life Cycle management:

Mankind is withdrawing fossil energy and raw materials from the earth’s reserves to for

making products for fulfilling social needs.

During the process of manufacture, wastes

and degraded energy may be released to environment and after usage the product may

become a disposable material in the environment.

Recycle of material can involve some more energy input.

When we make a choice of a product, a

consideration of the total impact on environment

of producing it, using it and finally handling it as

waste should be made. If its utility is less than the

adverse impact then we should forgo the use of it.

In addition to considering economic feasibility of a

process in a situation, energy and environmental

factors are also satisfactory; society can support the

product both from producer and consumer point of

view.

Biotechnology: New Revolution:

Biotechnology is the application of organisms, biological systems or biological processes to manufacturing and service industries. It is based on understanding of biosciences and process engineering and involves handling of bio-molecules that occur in nature. Here we consider applications of biotechnology in agriculture, chemical synthesis and energy management. Two strategies for the use of biotechnology are studied (i) To reduce the environmental problems arising from conventional technology. (ii) To replace

existing environmentally damaging technology.

Recalcitrant organic molecules and inorganic pollutants:

Compounds that persist in the environment are called recalcitrant. Abiotic organic chemicals in water, soil etc. are not

easy to treat as these are not metabolized easily.

However in some cases selective development of mutants have given biotechnology solution to these problems. Inorganic heavy metal pollution too has been tackled by bioprocess developments.

REFER: ’Microbial biosorbents: Meeting the challenge of heavy metal pollution in aqueous solutions’ Current Science, v 78, No 8, April 2000,(Review Paper,967-973)

Man made compounds that are found in unusually high concentrations in the environment are called xenobiotic.

These do not get degraded easily by microbes and accumulate in the environment. Considerable research is being done on his topic by environmental biotechnologists.

Waste, Pollution--need for Treatment

Interaction: Man & Environment

Nature of Wastes & Pollutants

Environmental impacts of release

Treatment: ‘End of pipe’ vs process integrated technology

Landfill technology for solid waste

Aerobic Biological Wastewater Treatment

Measures of water pollution

Aerobic biological treatment

Microbiology,nitrogen & phosphate removal

Plant control, Monitoring

Anaerobic Biological Wastewater Treatment

Theoretical & practical aspects

Microbiology & biochemistry of anaerobic treatment

Digester design and operation

Choice of anaerobic digesters

Bio-degradation of xenobiotic Compounds

Hydrocarbon degradation

Biodegradation of Halogenated

compounds

Problems & approaches

Biofuel tech: environmental Impact

Biological energy options

Biomass as fuel

Fuels extracted directed from biomass

Biogas

Bio-ethanol

Bio-hydrogen

Agriculture & Biotechnology: Environmental Benefits

Nitrogen fertilizers: bio-fertilizers as

Supplements to chemical fertilizers

Bio-pesticides for reducing crop losses

Plant strains development

Biotechnology: In Mineral Processing— Environmental Benefits

Bacteria in ore leaching

Ore leaching processes

Uptake of metals from solutions

Desulphurisation of coal

Water Analysis and Quality Control: Environmental Standards

Parameters in water quality

measurement

Biotechnology contributions to water

analysis

Bio-sensors

BIOMASS FOR ENERGY:

WHY BIOREMEDIATION?

Oil spills and leaks at industrial sites, feed lots and rail yards can result in hundreds of tons of petroleum contaminated soil (PCS) Petroleum contaminated soil, unregulated and left to evaporate into the atmosphere, can release potentially harmful volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere.

Petroleum products can seep into soil and

contaminate underlying ground water. Runoff from unregulated sites can carry petroleum contaminants off-site into nearby waterways.

Bioremediation technology is one safe solution to

the PCS problem. Instead of transferring

contaminants from one environmental area to

another (for example, from water to the air or to

land), bioremediation decomposes

petroleum products.

Strict emission standards ensure permitted

facilities don't negatively impact human health or

the environment.

National Environmental Engineering Research Institute

National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur, pursues an effective R & D programme in Environmental Science and Technology to enable solutions to backlog and future environmental problems emanating from developmental imperatives in various socio-economic sectors.

National Environmental Engineering Research Institute-2

The institute while fulfilling its commitment towards the national and social missions and CSIR thrust area activities, has made a significant contribution in the recent past, in the areas of institute's R & D, viz. Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Biotechnology, Hazardous Waste Management; Environmental System Design, Modelling and Optimization; Environmental Impact and Risk Assessment; and Environmental Policy Analysis.

Contact: NEERI, Nagpur

National Environmental Engineering Research Institute,

Nehru Marg,

Nagpur, 440020,

India

Tel: 0712-2249885-88 & 2249970-72. Fax:0712-2249900. e-mail: ra_sohony@neeri.res.in,

URL: http://www.neeri.res.in