Bioaugmentation: Put microbes to work
- Betz-Dearborn Inc., Horsham, PA (United States). Water Management Group
- Sybron Chemicals, Inc., Birmingham, NJ (United States). IWT/Municipal Biochemical Div.
The murky ponds of wastewater treatment plants are a natural habitat for microbiological growth. The indigenous biomass is an asset to the treatment process because it breaks down organic wastes. But as the amount of organic loading increases and discharge limits decrease, reinforcements are needed to gird the biomass and boost its degradation efficiency. Bioaugmentation provides that kind of support by altering the composition of the biomass. Like biostimulation, which supplements biomass with organic and inorganic nutrients and inducers, bioaugmentation fortifies biomass, but with microorganisms, or bugs, that have been isolated and selectively adapted to degrade specific compounds. Added to a wastewater treatment system, the microbes enhance the biomass` ability to respond to certain situations or to tackle contaminants not broken down by their indigenous counterparts. This results in improved treatment. The paper discusses the selection of microbes, applications, performance expectations, maintenance dosing, and promising research.
- OSTI ID:
- 455431
- Journal Information:
- Chemical Engineering, Vol. 104, Issue 3; Other Information: PBD: Mar 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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