Biotech in Wastewater Treatment and Pollution Control

Wastewater Treatment and Pollution Control: 

Wastewater treatment is crucial for public health as it purifies the water we consume. It essentially purifies waste waters, before it reaches aquifers and bodies of water such as lakes, oceans, and rivers. Similarly, pollution control is employing a diverse set of means to get rid of harmful substances and emissions. Without these processes keeping wastewater and pollution in check, our environment and ecosystems will continue to deteriorate, and harm human health. 

BioTechnology’s Role: 

While our traditional treatment methods are useful, they have many drawbacks.  It involves processes like sedimentation and filtration that consume a lot of energy, and it also uses a lot of chemicals that are dangerous and damaging. However, Biotechnology has advanced our current treatments, by using microorganisms and biocatalysts. These processes are sustainable and reduce the environmental footprint, revolutionizing treatment and control. 

Biotechnology relies on microorganisms (bacteria, algae, etc) for wastewater treatment. These organisms break down pollutants into less harmful substances and eradicate contaminants from the water. One example of treatment is anaerobic digestion, where microorganisms break down organic matter creating biogas, a byproduct. This methane rich byproduct is very useful because it can be used for electricity and heat.  This treatment is highly effective with waste waters that contain immense concentrations of pollutants (food, agricultural, sewage treatment). This is a promising treatment route for industries, as it contains many benefits, including less costs and sustainability. 

Leverage plants are another solution that biotechnology has innovated for pollution control. Through the technique known as phytoremediation, particular plants absorb pollutants from contaminated substances. These plants are usually genetically modified, examples being reeds, water hyacinths and specific trees, making it a solution that both contributes to ecosystem restoration and pollution control.  

Moreover, heavy metals cause damage to the immune and nervous system and also can poison you. However, removing heavy metals is a huge problem in our path to purify water and control pollution, and current solutions are expensive and can create more waste than there already is. Biotechnology has created alternate methods that are both cost-efficient and sustainable. One technique, Biosorption soaks the metal ions onto microbial cells, which transfers them away from the water. While another practice, Bioaccumulation stores the metal inside the microbial cells. Both these methods provide very inexpensive and sustainable solutions to a huge problem in manufacturing industries like battery and mining. 

While all these solutions seem to be very promising, there are issues that biotechnology devised methods have. Integrating these techniques into industries can prove to be challenging and also expensive. Additionally, fields and companies that produce large amounts of wastewater, can be too grand of an industry for these specific methods.  

Conclusion:  

The role BioTechnology can play in wastewater treatment and pollution control is huge. It has the potential to completely revolutionize the industry, with its inexpensive, sustainable, and coherent methods. This prospective field will continue to adapt and create more and more efficient solutions for our environment that will play a significant part in making our current industries more eco friendly! 

References:

Nathanson, Jerry A. “Pollution Control.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 2019, www.britannica.com/technology/pollution-control

Al-Masri H. Industrial Biotechnology in Wastewater Treatment and Pollution Control. J Micro Bio Curr Res. 2025;9(1):253 Nathanson, Jerry A, and Archis Ambulkar. “Wastewater Treatment | History, Methods, Systems, & Technologies.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 29 Nov. 2018, www.britannica.com/technology/wastewater-treatment

‌