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 process ASP
No. of aeration tanks 2
Capacity of aeration tanks 3180 KL and 2840 KL
Challenges: 
Parameters  Avg. Inlet parameters(PPM) Avg. Outlet parameters(PPM)
COD 12000 1500
BOD 4500 880-500
TDS 4000 1200
Formaldehyde 200 145
Gluteraldehyde 210 182
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)
COD 12000 500
BOD 4500 280
TDS 4000 1200
Formaldehyde 200 >15
Gluteraldehyde 210 >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.

Contact Us to explore how our waste water engineering solutions can support your sewage treatment plant maintenance needs.

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Effluent treatment with ammoniacal nitrogen and COD reduction
Organic Intermediates Effluent Treatment with Ammoniacal Nitrogen and COD Reduction
Introduction:

Effluent treatment in the organic intermediates industry presents significant challenges due to high levels of ammoniacal nitrogen (TAN) removal and chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction. These industrial effluents often arise from processes such as chemical synthesis, solvent washing, and product separation, resulting in a complex mix of contaminants. High ammoniacal nitrogen wastewater levels not only hinder biological wastewater treatment but also pose serious environmental compliance and regulatory challenges.

An organic intermediates production unit in Gujarat faced operational inefficiencies in its industrial effluent treatment plant (ETP), which used a combined anaerobic-aerobic wastewater treatment system. Persistent high TAN levels (>450 ppm) and COD levels (>20,000 ppm) hindered the plant’s ability to meet wastewater discharge standards.

Plant Details:

Flow Rate: 240 KLD
Aeration Tank Capacity:- 400 KLD
UASB Capacity:- 350 KLD
HRT:-   75 hrs (Total)
The Initial Approach:

A thorough wastewater site assessment and effluent characterization study were conducted. Key challenges identified included:

  • High ammoniacal nitrogen toxicity, impacting biological treatment efficiency.
  • Elevated COD concentration due to refractory organic pollutants.
  • Poor activated sludge quality and microbial performance in the aerobic treatment process.
  • Inadequate nitrification-denitrification process.
Effluent Treatability Study:

A laboratory-scale wastewater treatability study was performed using T1B Aerobio, a specialized microbial bioremediation solution, to evaluate its potential in addressing these challenges. The study focused on:

  • TAN reduction through enhanced microbial nitrification and denitrification.
  • COD biodegradation by targeting hard-to-degrade organic compounds.
  • Sludge management improvement for better settling properties and reduced sludge carryover.

Microscopic analysis and batch reactor trials demonstrated significant microbial adaptation to high TAN and COD levels, validating the efficacy of T1B Aerobio for industrial wastewater treatment.

T1B Aerobio: Enhancing Treatment Performance

T1B Aerobio is a bioaugmentation technology featuring a specialized microbial consortium designed for high-strength industrial effluent treatment. Its robust microbial strains include nitrifiers and denitrifiers that efficiently convert ammoniacal nitrogen to nitrogen gas, while degrading persistent organic pollutants to achieve substantial COD removal efficiency.

Execution:
Plant Optimization:
  • Adjusted aeration rates to maintain dissolved oxygen (DO) levels optimal for nitrification (2.5-3.0 mg/L).
  • Improved hydraulic retention time (HRT) to enhance microbial degradation.
Dosing Regime:

A 60-day bioaugmentation dosing schedule was implemented:

Monitoring Parameters:
  • TAN and COD concentrations.
  • Nitrate and nitrite levels during nitrification process.
  • Sludge volume index (SVI) and microbial activity.
Observations:

The addition of T1B Aerobio microbial culture resulted in substantial improvements in ETP performance. Key observations are summarized below:

Parameter Day 1 Day 15 Day 30 Day 45 Day 60
COD (ppm) 20,000 14,500 8,200 4,500 1,200
TAN (ppm) 450 350 180 90 35
Nitrate (mg/L) 0 75 150 220 240
SVI (mL/g) 180 150 100 80 50
Results:
  • TAN Removal Efficiency: Achieved a 92% reduction by Day 60, ensuring compliance with wastewater discharge limits.
  • COD Removal Efficiency: Realized a 94% reduction, meeting industrial effluent discharge standards.
  • Enhanced Nitrification Process: Consistently high nitrate formation rates indicated effective ammoniacal nitrogen removal.
  • Improved Sludge Settling Characteristics: Reduced SVI values led to better sludge compaction and settling properties.
Graphical Insights:
  • TAN and COD Reduction: Cylindrical charts illustrating the progressive decline in TAN and COD concentrations.
  • Nitrification Efficiency: A line graph depicting the steady increase in nitrate levels over time.
Conclusion:

The application of T1B Aerobio in industrial effluent treatment significantly enhanced the performance of the organic intermediates industry’s ETP. Effective TAN and COD reduction, improved nitrification efficiency, and better sludge quality management ensured compliance with wastewater discharge norms while reducing environmental impact. This sustainable wastewater treatment solution supported the client’s corporate environmental responsibility (CER) goals and contributed to an eco-friendly wastewater management approach.

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