ADVANCEMENTS
IN
ENVIRONMENTAL
BIOTECHNOLOGY
CONTENTS:
• INTRODUCTION TO
ENVIRONMENTAL
BIOTECHNOLOGY
• APPLICATIONS OF ENV.
BIOTECHNOLOGY
• ADVANCES IN ENV.
BIOTECHNOLOGY
• CONCLUDING REMARKS
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INTRODUCTIO
N
WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL
BIOTECHNOLOGY:
• Environmental biotechnology is biotechnology that is
applied to and used to study the natural environment.
• Environmental biotechnology in particular is the
application of process for the protection and restoration
of the quality of the environment
• The International Society for Environmental
Biotechnology defines environmental biotechnology as
the development, use and regulation of biological
systems for remediation of contaminated environments
(land, air, water), and for environment-friendly.
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APPLICATIONS OF
ENVIRONMENTAL
BIOTECHNOLOGY
• BIOREMEDIATION
• BIODEGRADATION
• BIOTRANSFORMATION &
BIOMINERALIZATION
• BIOSENCORS/
BIOMARKERS
• BIOFILTRATION
• BIOFUEL
• WASTE TREATMENT
BIOREMEDIATION
• Bioremediation refers to the productive use of microorganisms
to remove or detoxify pollutants, usually as contaminants of
soils, water or sediments that otherwise intimidate.
• Bioremediation is not a new practice. Microorganisms have
been used for many years to remove organic matter and toxic
chemicals from domestic and manufacturing waste discharge.
FOCUS IN ENVIRONMENTAL
BIOTECHNOLOGY
• Waste Treatment & Pollution control
• Biological cleaning procedures
• Handling of waste industrial effluents
• Soil and land treatment
• Air and waste gases management.
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3 BIOREMEDIATION TECHNOLOGIES
1. BIOVENTING;
A REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGY THAT USES
MICROORGANISMS TO BIODEGRADE ORGANIC
CONSTITUENTS IN THE GROUNDWATER SYSTEM.
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2. BIOLEACHING;
THE EXTRACTION OF METALS FROM
THEIR ORES THROUGH THE USE OF
LIVING ORGANISMS.
3. BIOREACTOR;
ANY MANUFACTURED OR ENGINEERED
DEVICE OR SYSTEM THAT SUPPORTS A
BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE ENVIRONMENT.
BIODEGRADATION
• Biodegradation is the naturally-occurring breakdown
of materials by microorganisms such as bacteria and
fungi or other biological activity. Indeed,
biodegradation is the process by which organic
substances are broken down into smaller compounds
by living microbial organisms.
TYPES OF BIODEGRADATION:
• Bio-mineralization
• Biotransformation
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BIOMINERALIZATION:
Mineralization or Bio mineralization: Microorganisms
convert organic waste into chemical inorganic matter
such as water and carbon dioxide. Examples include
the shells of invertebrates.
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BIOTRANSFORMATION:
Part of the organic matter is degraded, remaining part
is converted into smaller chain organic compounds.
example : fermentation of sugar into ethanol.
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BIOINDICATORS
• Bio indicators are living organisms such as plants,
planktons, animals, and microbes, which are utilized to
screen the health of the natural ecosystem in the
environment.
• They are used for assessing environmental health and
biogeographic changes taking place in the environment.
Such entities serve as important biomarkers for assessing
the quality of water as well as an indicator of water
pollution.
•Even the health of aquatic flora is best reflected by
plankton, which acts as an early warning signal. 13
BIOFUEL
• Biofuel, any fuel that is derived from biomass-that is,
plant or algae material or animal waste. Since such
feedstock material can be replenished readily, biofuel is
considered to be a source of renewable energy, unlike
fossil fuels such as petroleum, coal, and natural gas.
CATEGORIES:
Biodiesel
• Biogas
• Methanol, ethanol
• Pure vegetable oil
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WASTE TREATMENT APPLICATIONS
• Biotechnology finds application fields in the treatment of
wastewaters by biological methods and disposal of solid wastes
by composting technique in waste management.
• Biological methods are also applied to treatment of air
emissions. The methods based on biotechnology in wastewater
treatment are activated Biofilters, oxidation ponds and anaerobic
treatment.
• Furthermore, solid waste composting techniques and
biosorption are the examples of biotechnology applications in
waste management.
• In all these methods, it is essential to find suitable
microorganisms that will degrade organic substances and to
complete the treatment process in favorable conditions.
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ADVANCES IN ENVIRONMENTAL
BIOTECHNOLOGY
• BIODEGRADABLE PLASTIC
• WASTE MANAGEMENT BY
MICROBIAL FUEL CELLS
• BIOREMEDIATION
TECHNOLOGIES
BIODEGRADABLE PLASTIC
Plastic that is able to break down when discarded either in dumps
or sunlight . It is made by using additives which help the plastic to
degrade. It has been treated to be easily breakdown by
microorganisms.
EXAMPLES OF BIODEGRADABLE PLASTIC:
• Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB):
(a biodegradable plastic produced by microorganisms first
discovered by Lemoigne in 1925.)
• Polylactic acid (PLA):
The most popular bioplastic is polylactic acid or PLA, which is
typically made from fermented plant starches.
• Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA):
(The conversion of PS to PHA was the first reported technology
for the recycling of waste plastics to a biodegradable plastic.) 17
MICROBIAL FUEL CELL
• One such advancement of Biotechnology is in Microbial Fuel
Cell which not only helps in waste water management but also
produces energy simultaneously. The energy generated in form
of electricity can be utilized somewhere in operations of
Effluent treatment Plant.
• A microbial fuel cell (MC) is a bioreactor, that converts
chemical energy in the chemical bonds in organic compounds to
electrical energy through catalytic reactions of microorganisms
under anaerobic conditions.
• MC is an efficient advancement in environmental biotechnology
that not helps in treatment of waste water but also is a
renewable source of energy.
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CONCLUDING REMARKS
• Besides a lot of advancements in Environmental biotechnology,
there are still some serious issues like ; waste management,
biodiversity loss, marine waste and much more that still needs
to be looked after.
• Even though, there has been a tremendous advancement in fields
of environment and biotechnology related, but to make sure the
most of problems there is still a lot of room empty for new
solutions.
• The new world requires new and latest technologies as solutions
to such environmental problems.
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THANK YOU
POWERPOINT AND QUIZ BY:
KRISTINE AQUINO
JAMES RYAN M. DE VERA
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