Bioremediation of Aldehyde-Rich Wastewater from a Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Unit
Bioremediation of Aldehyde-Rich Wastewater from a Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Unit
Background

A leading pharmaceutical company situated in Madhya Pradesh in India was facing challenges in treating its aldehyde-laden wastewater, particularly with glutaraldehyde and formaldehyde content.Bioremediation of aldehyde-rich wastewater emerged as a sustainable and effective solution to this issue. Contact Us to learn how we can transform your wastewater challenges into sustainable solutions.

These compounds, used in drug synthesis and as disinfectants, were found to be:

  • Inhibiting microbial activity in their conventional Activated Sludge Process (ASP), a common biological wastewater treatment method.
  • Causing non-compliance with regulatory COD/BOD limits—critical benchmarks in any sewage water treatment process.
  • Producing a persistent pungent odor at the ETP outlet, calling for odour control in wastewater treatment.
ETP details:

The industry had primary treatment, biological treatment, and then a tertiary treatment.

Flow (current)900 KLD
Type of processASP
No. of aeration tanks2
Capacity of aeration tanks3180 KL and 2840 KL
Challenges: 
Parameters Avg. Inlet parameters(PPM)Avg. Outlet parameters(PPM)
COD120001500
BOD4500880-500
TDS40001200
Formaldehyde200145
Gluteraldehyde210182
Problem Statement:

Despite having a full-fledged ETP (Equalization → Primary → ASP → Clarifier), the system could not consistently bring down aldehyde levels due to their toxicity to standard microbial consortia. The system experienced:

  • Foaming and poor settling in the aeration tank.
  • Reduced BOD removal efficiency.
  • Increased sludge bulking and filamentous growth—issues typical in inefficient wastewater filtration and sludge management systems.
Objective:

To implement a cost-effective, eco-friendly bioremediation strategy that:

  1. Enhances degradation of formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde.
  2. Restores biological treatment efficiency.
  3. Achieves compliance with CPCB norms.
Solution: Bioaugmentation-Based Bioremediation
Step 1: Selection of Microbial Culture/Bioculture

A customized bio-culture T1B Aerobio blend was developed, containing aldehyde-degrading strains of:

  • Pseudomonas putida
  • Bacillus subtilis
  • Rhodococcus sp.

These microbes had been lab-tested for their aldehyde tolerance and metabolic capabilities..aerobio from t1b

Step 2: Dosing Plan in Full-Scale ETP
  • Initial Loading dose: For 1st 30 days to develop the population of bacteria and generate biomass 
  • Maintenance dose: For the next days and on, to maintain the population of biomass generated.
  • Nutrient balancing (C:N:P = 100:5:1) to promote growth.
Step 3: Acclimatization Phase (2 Days)
  • The culture was activated for two days separately for acclimatization.

Monitored DO, pH, and ORP to ensure a stable environment.

Results:

After 60 days of Bioculture addition/Bioremediation:

Parameters Avg. Inlet parameters(PPM)Avg. Outlet parameters(PPM)
COD12000500
BOD4500280
TDS40001200
Formaldehyde200>15
Gluteraldehyde210>30

60 days of Bioculture addition/ bioremediation of aldehyde-rich wastewater

60 days of Bioculture addition/ bioremediation of aldehyde-rich wastewater

Benefits Observed

✅ Rapid degradation of aldehydes without secondary pollutants
✅ Stabilized biomass and improved MLSS/MLVSS ratio
✅ Significant reduction in foaming and sludge bulking
✅ Odor control and improved air quality near the aeration tank
✅ Regulatory compliance achieved within 4 weeks

Conclusion

Bioremediation of aldehyde rich wastewater has proven to be a sustainable and economical solution for treating contaminated wastewater. With careful acclimatization, dosing, and nutrient balancing, the ETP was restored to optimal performance without requiring major infrastructure changes.This highlights the power of using the right wastewater treatment products and techniques to improve residential wastewater treatment systems and eco sewage treatment plants alike.

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Saving operational expenses for pharma business using bioremediation
Saving OPEX for a reputed Pharma Giant using Bioremediation
Introduction: 

The reputed pharmaceutical giant is known for contributing to the global pharmaceutical sector by using  bioremediation. This unit is one of the largest Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) producers that manufactures products such as Tamsulosin, Metformin, Esomeprazole, etc. The Unit has a full-fledged Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) which is a traditional Activated Sludge Process (ASP) system. The unit is committed to treating its industrial wastewater religiously. The unit had an Multi-Effect Evaporator (MEE) installed to treat high COD wastewater stream. Due to the production of multiple pharmaceutical products, the ETP received multiple effluent streams with tough-to-degrade pollutants like toluene, benzene, Metformin, Acetic Acid, Methanol, etc. Due to such high-strength wastewater streams, it was difficult for them to control ETP operations, using bioremediation which led to heavier expenses, specifically on the MEE operation, as it was receiving a heavier load than its designed capacity.

ETP details:

The industry had primary treatment, biological treatment, and then a tertiary treatment.

Flow (current)450 KLD
Flow (design)500 KLD
Type of processASP
No. of aeration tanks3 (in series)
Capacity of aeration tanks500 KL, 450 KL, 300 KL  respectively
Retention Time67 hours(combined)
MEE Details:
Capacity (current)12 KLD
Current inflow10 KLD
Inlet COD150000 ppm
Inlet TDS60000 ppm
Challenges:
Parameters (PPM)Avg. Inlet parameters Avg. Outlet parameters 
COD180009900
BOD50003000
TDS150009500
Operational Challenges:
  • The primary treatment system was working at 5% efficiency in terms of COD reduction.
  • The biological treatment system was working at an average 45% efficiency in terms of COD reduction.
  • They were struggling to effectively treat recalcitrant pollutants such as toluene, benzene, Metformin, Acetic Acid, and Methanol, which compelled them to run the ETP at 10% less hydraulic load.
  • A separate high COD stream was directed to MEE, leading to scaling and fouling in MEE.

Volume of stream to MEE: 10 KLD
COD: 150000 ppm
TDS: 80000 ppm

Financial Challenges:
  • Urea-DAP consumption: 2160 Kg/month of Urea and 1200 Kg/month of DAP were required to boost the poor biomass in the biological tanks.
  • Electricity consumption: Due to high COD effluent, the power requirement went up from a normal 14250 KWH to 20250 KWH monthly.
  • Raw Water Consumption: Due to high COD influent, there was a need for higher evaporation, hence around 100000 litres of water was used monthly for MEE.
  • Chemical Consumption: Due to high COD inflow in MEE, there was extensive scaling, due to which the MEE needed frequent cleaning with HCL: 22500 kg/month, EDTA: 11250 kg/month.
Extra Costs incurred per month:
CommodityUnits required
Urea(in Biological tank)2160 kg/month
DAP(in Biological tank)1200 kg/month
Raw water consumption100000 litres/ Month approx
HCL (10 % )5500 kg/month
EDTA3200 kg /month
Electricity(MEE)20250 KWH/month

The MEE cost per liter was coming to Rs. 1820/KL for 10 KLD capacity, while the overall WWTP (Wastewater Treatment Plant) cost to treat 450 KLD effluent swelled to Rs. 200/KLD.

The Approach:

The industry partnered with us to improve the efficiency of their biological units and to reduce operational costs using bioremediation in their WWTP.

We adopted a 3D approach that included:

  1. Research/Scrutiny:
    • Our team visited their manufacturing facility to examine the existing ETP process and scrutinize areas of improvement.
    • The visit helped us explore potential ETP optimization strategies in the biological treatment system.
  2. Analysis:
    • We analyzed the previous 3-month cumulative data of their ETP to observe trends in inlet-outlet parameters.
  3. Innovation (Bioaugmentation):
Desired Outcomes :
  1. Reduction of COD/BOD thereby improving the efficiency of biological tanks.
  2. Degradation of tough-to-degrade effluents and develop robust biomass to withstand shock loads.
  3. Reduction in scaling of MEE by reducing COD in biological systems and saving cost using bioremediation.
  4. Reducing consumption of UREA-DAP.
  5. Cost saving by treating high COD streams in main ETP.
Execution:

Our team selected two bioaugmentation products:

  1. T1B Aerobio:
    • A blend of specialized microbes that secrete enzymes capable of degrading tough pollutants like toluene, benzene, and Metformin.
    • Helps in reducing COD/BOD, stabilizing shock loads, and enhancing biomass stability.
  1. T1B MacMi:
    • A plant-based gel that acts as a nutrient source for bacteria.
    • Replaced UREA-DAP to provide essential macro and micronutrients for microbial growth.

                                       

Plan of Action:
  • Diverting 2 KLD of MEE inlet to the main ETP inlet with COD 150000 ppm.
  • Diverting 3 KLD of MEE reject to main ETP inlet with COD 25000 ppm.
  • Dosing of T1B Aerobio in all three biological tanks.
  • Dosing of T1B MacMi in all three tanks.

Average Inlet COD after the addition of streams: 18406 PPM

Results:
ParametersInlet parameters Secondary Outlet parameters (ppm)
COD18406-19000 ppm2200 ppm
BOD9290 to 10000 ppm1400 ppm 
Cost Saving :
CommodityUnits required before treatmentUnits required after treatment
Urea2160 kg/month432 kg/month
DAP1200 kg/month240 kg/month
Raw water consumption100000 litres/ Month approx50000 litres/Month
HCL (10 % )5500 kg/month4000 litres/month
EDTA3200 kg /month2050 litres/month
Electricity(Extra)675 KWH/day478 KWH/day

The MEE operational cost reduced to Rs. 1220/KLD, and the ETP cost was reduced to Rs. 160/KLD using bioremediation.

Key Achievements:
  • 85-89% COD & BOD reduction.
  • 20% reduction in ETP OPEX.
  • Full-capacity operations restored using bioremediation.
  • MEE dependency reduced.

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Challenges faced in Adhesive effluent treatment with shock load
Adhesive Effluent Treatment with Shock Load Challenges
Introduction:

The adhesive effluent treatment from a manufacturing industry contains a variety of pollutants, depending on the type of adhesives being manufactured (e.g., water-based adhesives, solvent-based adhesives, hot-melt adhesives, or reactive adhesives). The main pollutants typically found in industrial wastewater treatment for the adhesive industry include:

An adhesive manufacturing plant in Pune with an overall capacity 750 KLD effluent treatment plant (ETP) faced issues due to the presence of certain contaminants such as:

  • VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds): Benzene, Ethyl Acetate, Acetone, etc. (from solvent-based adhesives).
  • Resins & Polymers: Acrylic resins, epoxy resins, polyurethanes, or other polymeric residues.
  • Unreacted Monomers: Styrene, vinyl acetate, acrylates, formaldehyde, etc., which are organic but difficult-to-degrade pollutants contributing to outlet contamination and lower efficiency in COD removal along with imposing shock loads.
Plant Details:
Flow Rate 750 KLD
Inlet COD: 8000-1000 ppm
Inlet TDS6000 PPM
Aeration Tank 1 Capacity800 KL
Aeration Tank 2 Capacity350 KL
COD reduction efficiency of secondary system40%-50%
Research and Analysis:

The plant’s Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) was comprehensively evaluated to diagnose wastewater treatment challenges through site visits. Key issues identified were:

  • High COD levels caused by organic pollutants and chemical residues.
  • Frequent upsets due to shock loads from multiple industrial effluent streams.
  • Poor microbial performance in the biological treatment system.
  • Unsustainability and low MLVSS (Mixed Liquor Volatile Suspended Solids), leading to inefficient biodegradation of industrial effluents.
Innovation:

T1B Aerobio: Enhancing Biological Treatment Performance

T1B Aerobio is a specially formulated biological treatment solution powered with 76+ robust bacterial strains designed to degrade complex organic compounds in adhesive industry wastewater. Its high-performance microbial strains secrete enzymes that efficiently break down tough-to-degrade contaminants that indigenous microbes fail to degrade.

Execution:
Plant Optimization:
  • Adjusted Return Activated Sludge (RAS) and Waste Activated Sludge (WAS) to enhance the secondary biological treatment system efficiency.
Dosing Regime:

A 60-day microbial dosing schedule was implemented:

  • Phase 1 (Days 1-30): High initial dose to establish a dominant biological culture for effective COD degradation.
  • Phase 2 (Days 31-60): Maintenance dosing to sustain color removal and COD reduction.
Monitoring Parameters:
  • COD and BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) levels.
  • Sludge Volume Index (SVI) and sludge settling characteristics.
Observations:

The addition of T1B Aerobio resulted in significant improvements in adhesive effluent treatment. Key observations are summarized below:

ParameterDay 1Day 15Day 30Day 45Day 60
COD (ppm)10,0007,5004,7002,500945
BOD (ppm)4,3002,8001,200850400
SVI (mL/g)2025323540
Results:
  • COD Reduction: Achieved a 91% reduction in COD levels by Day 60, ensuring compliance with environmental discharge standards.
  • BOD Reduction: Achieved a 90% reduction in BOD levels, meeting wastewater discharge norms.
  • Improved Sludge Settling: Optimized Sludge Volume Index (SVI) values, leading to better sludge compaction and reduced carryover.
  • Shock Load Management: Frequent ETP upsets were effectively controlled.
Conclusion:

The application of T1B Aerobio significantly improved the performance of the adhesive industry’s effluent treatment plant (ETP). Enhanced biological treatment facilitated the degradation of hard-to-degrade organic pollutants, stabilized microbial activity, and maintained ETP efficiency under shock load conditions.

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environmental compliance and bioremediation
Environmental Compliance & Bioremediation Solutions for Industrial Wastewater Treatment

The modern world is fast-paced, and trends seem to dictate every facet of life. Today, environmental consciousness, sustainability, and eco-friendly practices are buzzwords we hear everywhere. But while people may talk about environmental sustainability and eco-friendly practices, the truth is that for industries, these are not just trends—they are obligations. It’s not easy to bridge the gap between production processes and pollution control, and it requires serious commitment.With the ever-growing challenges of pollution, water scarcity, and wastewater management, regulatory environmental compliance and bioremediation play a crucial role in ensuring sustainable solutions.

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In India has become more stringent for industries involved in wastewater treatment projects, staying compliant with environmental standards is crucial to ensuring sustainability and operational efficiency.

Environmental compliance and bio remediation

Regulatory Framework for Environmental Protection in India India has developed a comprehensive regulatory framework to oversee environmental protection and bioremediation practices. Some of the key regulatory bodies and rules include:

  • Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC): The primary regulatory authority responsible for setting policies related to environmental protection.
  • Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB): Enforces environmental standards, monitors pollution levels, and ensures industry compliance.
  • National Green Tribunal (NGT): An expert body dedicated to swift adjudication of environmental cases, ensuring adherence to environmental laws.
  • Hazardous Waste Management Rules (2016): Outlines guidelines for handling, treatment, and disposal of hazardous waste, which includes bioremediation methods.
  • Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act (1974) and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act (1981): Set standards for water and air quality that directly impact bioremediation projects and wastewater treatment plants.

These regulatory bodies enforce acts and rules that directly affect bioremediation practices in various industries, ensuring sustainable management of industrial waste and effective sewage treatment plant design.

Compliance Parameters and Permitted Levels in India Industries in India need to adhere to strict environmental compliance and bioremediation standards. Below are some key parameters and limits set by Indian regulations:

Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
  • Effluent Standards: Defines permissible pollutant levels in wastewater discharged into water bodies, such as Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) being less than 30 mg/L for effluents.
  • Regular Monitoring: Both dischargers and State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) must monitor effluent quality regularly.
Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016
  • Handling and Disposal: Provides clear guidelines for safe treatment and disposal of hazardous waste, including bioremediation protocols.
  • Permissible Limits: Heavy metals and organic pollutants must comply with strict limits, such as lead (Pb) below 0.1 mg/L.

Environmental compliance and bioremediation

Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016
  • Bioremediation Guidelines: Encourages the use of bioremediation techniques for the treatment of organic waste and composting.
  • Permitted Levels: Standards for compost quality, including permissible levels of heavy metals and pathogens.
National Green Tribunal (NGT) Enforcement
  • Enforcement: NGT enforces environmental laws, ensuring enviornmental compliance and bioremediation compliance with waste management practices. Bioremediation techniques are often mandated in remediation efforts such as the Ganga Action Plan and Bellandur Lake cleanup.
Permitted Levels for Common Pollutants
  • BOD: < 30 mg/L
  • Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD): < 250 mg/L
  • Total Suspended Solids (TSS): < 100 mg/L
  • Heavy Metals:
    • Lead (Pb): < 0.1 mg/L
    • Cadmium (Cd): < 0.01 mg/L
    • Mercury (Hg): < 0.01 mg/L
  • Oil and Grease: < 10 mg/L
  • pH: 6.5 – 8.5

Challenges in Maintaining Compliance Even though there are advanced technologies available, maintaining compliance in industries can be extremely difficult. Here’s why:

  • Lack of Proper Design: Although there are numerous environmental consultants in India, only a few possess the expertise to deliver advanced wastewater treatment plants that align with industry-specific effluent characteristics.
  • Tough-to-Degrade Pollutants: Many industries use substances that are difficult to break down biologically or chemically in effluent treatment plants (ETPs), creating additional challenges in maintaining compliance.
  • Coordination Gaps: Industries often have multiple production lines with different types of effluents, making it difficult to predict the strength and volume of incoming waste. The lack of communication between production units and the Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) team leads to unpredictable shock load situations.
  • Misinformation and Misconceptions: There is a common misconception that traditional materials like cow dung or untreated sewage water can be effective for treating all types of industrial effluents. However, these solutions are far from sufficient.

Effective waste water remediation

How Bioremediation Addresses These Challenges Bioremediation is an innovative and effective solution for addressing wastewater treatment challenges, ensuring industries comply with stringent regulations while promoting sustainability.

  • Works with Imperfect Design: With the right choice of robust microbes, the bioremediation process can function even in poorly designed wastewater treatment plants.
  • Degrades Tough Pollutants: Microorganisms used in bioremediation are capable of degrading pollutants that are otherwise hard to treat using conventional methods.
  • Handles Multiple Streams & Shock Loads: Bioremediation can easily handle multiple effluent streams and manage shock loads, making it ideal for industries with fluctuating wastewater characteristics.
  • Better Than Conventional Solutions: Unlike ineffective and outdated sewage disposal methods like using cow dung or untreated sewage, bioremediation employs scientifically proven methods for waste degradation.

For industries facing stringent compliance challenges, bioremediation offers a scalable, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly solution to meet regulatory standards and achieve sustainability goals.

Key Takeaways:
  • Environmental compliance is a critical requirement for industries in India.
  • Bioremediation offers an advanced, eco-friendly alternative to traditional wastewater treatment methods.
  • Proper application of bioremediation can address the most challenging pollutants and ensure compliance with stringent regulations.
  • Embracing enrionmental compliance and bioremediation technologies is not just about staying compliant—it’s about adopting a responsible approach to environmental sustainability.
Conclusion: 

For industries required to comply with environmental standards, bioremediation presents an effective and reliable pathway to achieving compliance and minimizing environmental impact. By integrating bioremediation technologies, industries can not only meet regulatory requirements but also actively contribute to water recycling, sustainable wastewater treatment projects, and overall environmental responsibility.

Are you looking for a reliable wastewater treatment solution?
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Aerobio – Microbial Cultures, Bio Product, Bacteria with Enzymes, Bacterial Culture, Digester Treatment

Since aerobic digestion is an integral and important step in wastewater treatment, the health status of activated sludge becomes a fundamental concern for any industrial WWTP or ETP management.

T1B Aerobio is a trustworthy aid to maintain the functionality and productiveness of any wastewater treatment process. T1B Aerobio is tenacious in breaking down organic matter and reducing the biological oxygen demand (BOD) or chemical oxygen demand (COD) levels in wastewater.

With its exceptional tendency to remain conducive even with fluctuating temperature ranges, unstable pH levels, and escalated levels of total dissolved solids or TDS, the T1B Aerobio is a quintessential addition to a wastewater treatment process.

Recalcitrant compounds are hard to degrade chemical substances. Adding T1B Aerobio in sludge waste fortifies the degradation of these harmful compounds. T1B Aerobio is also a robust bioproduct that decomposes xenobiotic compounds effectively. Use of T1B Aerobio will definitely improve the efficiency of various biological process and units like, ASP, MBR, MBBR, SBR, RBC, Trickling Filter. etc. It works under suspension mode as well as attached mode systems.

T1B Aerobio | Microbiome Solution For Aerobic Digestion – Efficient For Reduction Of BOD and COD in wastewater for reclacitrant and xenobiotic compounds

Aerobic Microbial Cultures – Aerobic Bio Product – Aerobic Bacteria With Enzymes – Aerobic Bacterial Cultures – Aerobic Digester Treatment – Wastewater Bioremediation – Bioremediation – Bioaugmentation – Bio Product – High COD/BOD – High Ammoniacal Nitrogen – High TDS – Tough To Biodegrade Efflunet – Xenobiotic Compounds – Reclacitrants – Oil & Grease – Activated Sludge Process – ASP – Microbial Process – Oxygenation – Carbon Dioxide – Nutrient Removal – Aerobic Microorganisms – Sludge Reduction – Secondary Treatment – Respiration – Oxidation – Air Supply – Energy Efficiency – Carbon Footprint – Environmental Benefits – BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) – COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) – Aeration Tank – Activated Sludge – Activated Sludge Process – SBR (Sequential Batch Reactor) Process – MBR (Membrane BioReactor) Process – MBBR (Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor) process – RBC (Rotating Biological Contactor) Process – MBR-IFAS (Integrated Fixed-film Activated Sludge) Process – ASP (Aeration Stabilization Process) – Extended Aeration Process – Oxidation Ditch Process – Trickling Filter Process – High-Rate Trickling Filter Process – Submerged Aerated Filter Process – Membrane Aerated Biofilm Reactor (MABR) – Biofilm Reactors – Effective Microbes – Effective Microorganisms – High Strength CFU Per Gram – Industrial Wastewater Treatment – ETP – Efflunet Treatment Plant – CETP – Common Effluent Treatment Plant – Improve MLSS – Reduce Aeration – Plant Stability – Enhance Nitrogen And Phosphorus Removal – Commissioning Time of ETP – Rapid Growth Of MLSS and MLVSS – Shock load Stabilization – Overall Cost Of Operation – Faster Commissioning – Reduce COD BOD Ammoniacal Nitrogen – Improved Setteling – Colour Reduction – Aromatic Compounds Cellulose Proteins lignin lipids – High TDS Tolerant – Food Industry Effluent – Beverage Industry Wastewater – Dairy Industry Effluent – Meat Processing Industry – Paper Industry Effluent – Pharmaceutical Industry Effluent – Effluent From Textile Units – Effluent From Chemical Manufacturing Units – Dyes and Colorants Effluent – Detergents Effluent – Active Bioremediation

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