Microorganisms applied in alternative processes for treatment of oily wastewater

Abstract

The deterioration of the water resources generated by the population has increased and the consequent impact resulting from the agglomeration in the cities makes it necessary to reuse either industrial or domestic wastewater, which motivates the search for new and better technological alternatives for the treatment and reuse of effluents. In that respect, Ecobiotech has developed an automated equipment for treatment and monitoring of sewage and grease boxes, without the need for human intervention, used in hotels, restaurants, shopping centers, among others. The microbiological solutions in the market for the treatment of grease boxes' organic matter are not able to completely meet the clients' needs, due to the low efficiency, high cost and lack of specificity with respect to the different situations encountered. Thus, this research aims to define the adequate composition of biotechnological components to be applied in our equipment that are superior in efficiency in comparison to the commercial ones, with the intention to carry out the treatment and monitoring of water pollutants dumped by the customers. For this, tests are being carried out in order to find potential microorganisms capable of degrading the organic matter of the nets and grease boxes for the future larger scale production of the developed formulation. In Pipe project Phase 1, nine microorganisms were isolated, showing activity both in starch and fat, the main organic components of the effluents. Furthermore, pools of these isolates were superior in the emulsification activity compared to a commercial product. Thus, laboratory-scale experiments conducted in Phase 1 of Pipe demonstrated the feasibility of developing our own biological product. In Phase 2, a study will be conducted aiming to obtain a significant increase in yields of the biologicals, with experiments carried out in bioreactor. With the development of a product to be used in the Ecobiotech machines it will be possible to have greater operational efficiency and, consequently, reduction in the costs passed on to the customers. (AU)