BITS-Pilani Hyderabad develops low-energy wastewater treatment for biopharma industry
Researchers at BITS Pilani, Hyderabad, have developed a low-energy wastewater treatment technology capable of disinfecting biopharmaceutical wastewater while recovering reusable water and methane-rich biogas. The innovation offers a sustainable solution for managing one of the most challenging industrial effluents.
The technology, demonstrated at laboratory scale, is now being prepared for industrial deployment in collaboration with Biological E. Ltd., a Hyderabad-based vaccine manufacturer. The project is supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) under its water technology initiative, and the core disinfection technology has been filed for an Indian patent.
Biopharmaceutical fermentation wastewater is difficult to treat due to high concentrations of live production micro-organisms, residual antibiotics, and antibiotic resistance genes. Currently, industries use chemical treatment and steam-based autoclaving to eliminate biosafety risks, processes that are energy-intensive and costly.
To address these challenges, the BITS Environmental Science and Technology (BEST) Laboratory developed an integrated three-stage treatment system combining electrical disinfection, biological treatment, and energy recovery.
The first stage uses Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) technology, which applies high-voltage, short-duration electrical pulses to destroy bacterial cells through irreversible electroporation. According to researchers, the process achieves more than 99.9999% bacterial inactivation, comparable to conventional sterilisation methods, without chemicals or heat.
In the second stage, the disinfected wastewater is treated in a sequencing batch reactor, where naturally occurring micro-organisms remove organic pollutants. This step eliminates over 90% of the organic load, producing treated water that can be further polished through membrane filtration for reuse.
The final stage employs the team's patented Intelligently Stirred Thermophilic Anaerobic Reactor, which converts residual sludge into methane-rich biogas. The recovered biogas can help meet part of the energy requirements of the treatment plant, while treated water can be reused, supporting zero liquid discharge goals.
Professor Sankar Ganesh Palani of the Department of Biological Sciences stated that the integrated approach demonstrates that complex industrial wastewater can be disinfected using electrical pulses while simultaneously recovering water and energy resources.
The research team also included Professor Mithun Mondal of the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering and research scholar Ravindra Dnyanaba Kulal. A research paper detailing the findings is currently under peer review.
