Degradation of Sewage,Starter Cultures,Efficiency of Sewage,Pseudomonas,Diphenols,Phenols,Octane,Xylene,Metaxylene,Anaerobic Fermentation

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Your Ad Here	Degradation of sewage The role of micro-organisms in the decomposition of sewage and other waste materials has long been recognized. Conventional sewage treatment involves the use of micro-organisms, which develop naturally within the sewage treatment system. In some newer approaches, however, the sewage is inoculated with a specific micro-organism, which has been specially selected for that particular sewage treatment process. Such organisms might be called starter cultures: The use of starter cultures increases the efficiency of sewage degradation.
Following are some of the examples of sewages treatment by using starter cultures: (i) Bacteria have been developed, which degrade alkanes and aromatic compounds at 0-15˚C, in saline habitats. These could be useful in the degradation of oil spills in the ocean. (ii) Starter cultures of mixed microorganisms are available, which not only metabolize DDT and polychlorinated diphenols or phenols, but also possess high protease, lipase or cellulase activity. (iii) Starter cultures have also been used to deodorise animal excrements. (iv) A strain of Pseudomonas putida containing plasmids has been developed, which can degrade octane, xylene, metaxylene and camphor.
The degradation of sewage by micro organisms requires large amount of oxygen, so that in order to provide room for oxygen, most sewage treatment plants are bulky. For improving the efficiency, tubular loop reactors and air lift fermenters have been developed. They both have better oxygen transfer efficiency. Aeration by pure oxygen has also been tried in U.S.A. and West Germany. Commercial sewage treatment plants that use pure oxygen, are marketed by several companies.