IIT-Guwahati develops wastewater treatment technology that uses mushroom waste
What's the story
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati have developed a cost-effective, sustainable wastewater treatment technology, BHEEMA (Biochar-based Hydrological Enzyme regulated Efficient Mechanism for Antibiotics removal).
The innovative method employs biochar from spent mushroom waste and laccase, a natural enzyme.
It has been named the top seventh finalist under the Water Sanitation theme of the Vishwakarma Awards 2024.
The findings were published in the Journal of Environmental Management.
Antibiotic removal
BHEEMA technology effectively eliminates harmful antibiotics from wastewater
The BHEEMA technology uses laccase-mediated degradation to remove toxic antibiotics from wastewater, avoiding the creation of toxic byproducts typically linked to traditional treatment methods.
As Sudip Mitra, head of the School of Agro and Rural Technology at IIT Guwahati, said, the research team targeted the fluoroquinolone group of antibiotics such as Ciprofloxacin, Levofloxacin, and Norfloxacin.
These are commonly found in hospital discharge, industrial effluents, and surface water.
The system degrades 90-95% of them within three hours in lab conditions.
Environmental impact
Offering non-toxic byproducts and cost-effective solution
Anamika Ghose, a PhD scholar working on the project, emphasized that the byproducts generated during the degradation process are non-toxic. This makes the technology sustainable and safe for our environment.
The biochar produced is a cost-effective, scalable alternative to activated charcoal.
The total cost of materials, enzyme immobilization, and reactor setup for this prototype is between ₹4,000-5,000 at laboratory scale.
This makes it suitable for large-scale implementation and adoption across both urban and rural areas.
Next steps
Future plans for BHEEMA technology include field testing, market validation
The research team is now scaling up the developed prototype by engaging with stakeholders for field testing and market validation.
They recently held a hands-on training session for farmers on biochar preparation and its multiple benefits for agriculture.
The session was held in collaboration with the district agricultural office of Morigaon, where 30 local farmers participated.