CERTIFICATE

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

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 INDEX

S.NO CONTENT PG.NO

1 ABSTRACT 1

2 MICROBES IN SEWAGE TREATMENT 2

3 WHICH MICROBES ARE USED IN

SEWAGE TREATMENT 6

4 ODOUR CONTROL IN SEWAGE

TREATMENT 7

5 MICRO-ORGANISMS IN ENERGY
GENERATION 7

6 MICROBES IN WNEMAKING 9

7 CONCLUSION 11

8 BIBILOGRAPHY 12

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 ABSTRACT

A microorganism is a microscopic living organism, which may be single

celled or multicellular. Microorganism was discovered in 1674 by Antonie
van Leeuwenhoek, using a microscope of his own design. They are very
diverse and include all the Bacteria and archaea and almost all the protozoa.
They also include some fungi, algae, and certain animals, such as rotifers.
Microbes are present everywhere – in soil, water, air, inside our bodies and
that of other animals and plants and even in Hot springs and Oceans. Some
are even observed in vacuum under certain test conditions. Microorganisms
are crucial to nutrient recycling in ecosystems as they act as decomposers.
As some microorganisms can fix nitrogen, they are a vital part of the
nitrogen cycle. Microorganisms are also exploited in biotechnology, both in
traditional food and beverage preparation, and in modern technologies
based on genetic engineering. Microbes are vital to humans and the
environment as they participate in the carbon and nitrogen cycle as well as
fulfilling other vital role in virtually all ecosystem such as recycling other
organism’s dead remains and waste products through decomposition.

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MICROBES IN SEWAGE TREATMENT

WHAT IS SEWAGE ?

Sewage refers to the municipal wastewater that is generated in cities and

towns on daily basis . Researchers estimates the indicator species, such as
Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the sewage water. Although most of the coliform
do not cause diseases, these are commonly found in the human gut and sewage
Their presence indicates that human waste has reached the water supply.
Human excreta is the major component of it, along with larger amounts of
organic matter and microbes, out of which many are pathogenic. So, it
cannot be directly discharged into natural bodies like rivers, streams, etc..
Hence, sewage has to be treated in Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) in
order to make it less polluting. The treatment of wastewater is done by
heterotrphic microbes, naturally present in the sewage.
Thus , Microbes Sewage treatment also known as wastewater treatment, is
the removal of impurities from sewage before it enters natural bodies

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What is Microbes Treatment Method?

Residential and industrial establishments generate sewage. It

involves household waste liquid from bathrooms, toilets,

kitchens, sinks, etc., disposed of through sewers. In certain

regions, sewage also carries wet waste from industry and

commerce.

1. Greywater is water produced from domestic activities like

laundry, dishwashing, and bathing and can be reused more

readily.

2. Blackwater comes from toilets and contains human waste.

The parting and draining of household waste into greywater

and blackwater have become more common in today’s world.

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Since sewage contains toxic materials, microorganisms play an
important role by removing the toxic using sewage treatment.
Sewage treatment is performed in two stages:
1. Primary treatment
2. Secondary treatment
Primary Sewage Treatment: This process is also known as
a physical process. In primary treatment, sewage is collected in a
basin where sludge can settle to the base, whereas oil and lighter
substances float on the top. Substances in these layers are then
removed, and the remaining liquid is sent to secondary treatment.
Sewage sludge is treated in a separate process called sludge
digestion.

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Secondary Sewage Treatment: This process is also called the biological
process. In secondary treatment, dissolved and suspended biological
matter are removed, often with the help of microorganisms in a controlled
environment.
1.Most secondary treatment systems use aerobic bacteria that consume the
organic components of the sewage. Some systems use fixed-film
techniques, where the bacteria grow on filters, and the water passes
through them.
2.The sewage is often mixed with air to facilitate decomposition as
oxygen is critical for the growth of bacteria. This air helps in the growth of
useful aerobic microbes into flocs (masses of bacteria associated with
fungal filament to form mesh-like structures).

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3.During their growth period, these microbes consume a major part of the
organic matter transforming it into microbial biomass, a lot of minerals are also
released during this. This significantly decreases the Biochemical Oxygen
Demand (BOD). Hence, the sewage water is treated till the BOD is reduced.
4.When the BOD of effluent is reduced significantly, it is then passed into a
settling tank, where the bacterial ‘flocs’ are left to settle down as sediment. This
sediment is called activated sludge. A small part of the activated sludge is then
pumped back into the aeration tank to serve as the inoculum.
5.The remaining part of the sludge is pumped back into large tanks called
anaerobic sludge digesters. Here, other anaerobic bacteria like methanogens are
also present. Along with organic mass, these microbes also digest aerobic
microbes (bacteria and fungi) of the sludge.
6.A mixture of gases like methane (CH4),(CH4), hydrogen sulphide (H2S),
(H2S), carbon dioxide (CO2),(CO2), etc., are produced during this digestive
process. These gases form biogas that is used as an alternate source of energy.
7.The effluent from the secondary treatment plant is discharged into natural
water bodies like rivers and streams.

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Which Microbes are Used in Sewage Treatment?
There are various microorganisms used in sewage treatment, but among these
three types of bacteria play a key role in keeping sewage clean. Each of these
bacteria contributes to the treatment process in a different way, ensuring
minimal influence on the environment.
1.Aerobic Bacteria: Aerobic bacteria are most commonly used in aerated
environments in modern treatment plants. These bacteria degrade the
contaminants in the wastewater using free oxygen in the water, then turn into
the energy that can be used to grow and reproduce. This helps the bacteria to
complete their tasks, continue to grow and reproduce.
2.Anaerobic Bacteria: Anaerobic microorganisms are commonly employed in
wastewater treatment. Primary function of these bacterias in sewage treatment
is to reduce sludge volume and create methane gas from it. This gas can be
used as an alternative energy source when properly cleaned and managed. This
type of bacterias can utilize enough oxygen from its food supply and does not
require additional supply of oxygen. Another advantage of anaerobic
microorganisms in sewage treatment is that they remove phosphorus from
wastewater. Most common anaerobic forms belong
to Actinomyces, Bifidobacterium, Clostridium, Propionibacterium and
Peptostreptococcus genera.
3.Facultative Bacteria: In sewage treatment, facultative microorganisms are
bacteria that can switch between aerobic and anaerobic states depending on
their surroundings. These bacteria like to reside in an aerobic environment.

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Odour Control in Sewage Treatment

Anaerobic or septic conditions are usually indicated through smells produced by

sewage treatment. Early stages of processing will tend to supply foul-smelling

gases, with sulfide being the commonest in generating complaints.

Carbon reactors, a contact medium with bio slime, low doses of chlorine, are

some examples of processes used to reduce the foul odour.

The addition of iron salts, peroxide, nitrate, etc., are some other ways of odour

control and managing hydrogen sulfide levels.

High-density solids pumps are used for reducing the odour by moving sludge

through sealed closed pipework.

Microorganisms in Energy Generation

Algae Fuel

Algae fuel or algal bio fuel is an alternative to liquid fossil fuels that uses algae

as its source of energy-rich oils. Several companies and government agencies are

funding efforts to reduce capital and operating costs and make algae fuel

production commercially viable. Like fossil fuel, algae fuel releases CO2 when

burnt, but unlike fossil fuel, algae fuel and other bio fuels only release CO2

recently removed from the atmosphere via photosynthesis as the algae or plant

grew. The energy crisis and the world food crisis have ignited interest in alga

culture (farming algae) for making biodiesel and other bio fuels using land

unsuitable for agriculture. Among algal fuels' attractive characteristics are that

they can be grown with minimal impact on fresh water resources can be

produced using saline and wastewater, have a high flash point and are
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biodegradable and relatively harmless to the environment if spilled .
Cellulosic ethanol

Cellulosic ethanol is a biofuel produced from wood, grasses, or the non-edible

parts of plants. It is a type of biofuel produced from lignocellulose, a

structural material that comprises much of the mass of plants. Lignocellulose

is composed mainly of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Corn stover,

switchgrass, miscanthus, woodchips and the by products of lawn and tree

maintenance are some of the more popular cellulosic materials for ethanol

production. Production of ethanol from lignocellulose has the advantage of

abundant and diverse raw material compared to sources like corn and cane

sugars, but requires a greater amount of processing to make the sugar

monomers available to the microorganisms that are typically used to produce

ethanol by fermentation. The main advantage of Cellulosic ethanol is that it

reduces greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 85% over reformulated gasoline.

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 MICROBES IN WINE MAKING

The process of winemaking involves numerous stages starting with the grapes
being harvested, taken into a winery and then prepared for fermentation. At this
stage, red wine is created during the fermentation of the pulp (or "must") and
skins of the red or black grapes, which gives the wine its colour. White wine, on
the other hand, does not include the grape skins in the fermentation process;
only the juices are extracted. To start primary fermentation, a process that
typically takes between one to two weeks, yeast is added which converts the
sugars in the grape juice into alcohol and carbon dioxide, which then evaporates
into the atmosphere.

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The produced liquid, which is known as "free wine," is then pumped into
tanks and the skins are pressed in order to extract the remaining wine and
juice. This wine, known as the "press wine," can be added to the free wine
to bring more character and longevity to the wine. Secondary fermentation
is the next step, which is the bacterial fermentation involving the
conversion of malic acid to lactic acid. This decreases the amount of acid
in the wine and softens the taste. The wine can then be transferred to oak
barrels for maturation, with further adjustments to taste and colour being
made prior to filtering and bottling.

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CONCLUSIONS

• Microbes are a very important component of life on earth. Not all

microbes are pathogenic. Many microbes are very useful to human
beings. We use microbes and microbially derived products almost every
day. Microbes are essential in processes like Wine making and Cheese
making. Bacteria called lactic acid bacteria (LAB) grow in milk to
convert it into curd. The dough, which is used to make bread, is
fermented by yeast called Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Certain dishes such
as idli and dosa, are made from dough fermented by microbes. Bacteria
and fungi are used to impart particular texture, taste and flavour to
cheese.

• Many microbes are used for commercial and industrial production of

chemicals, enzymes and other bioactive molecules .Antibiotics like
penicillins produced by useful microbes are used to kill disease-causing
harmful microbes. For more than a hundred years, microbes are being
used to treat sewage (waste water) by the process of activated sludge
formation and this helps in recycling of water in nature. Microorganisms
are used in fermentation to produce ethanol, and in biogas reactors to
produce methane Methanogens produce methane (biogas) while
degrading plant waste. Biogas produced by microbes is used as a source
of energy in rural areas. It is clear from the diverse uses human beings
have put microbes to that they play an important role in the welfare of
human society.

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 BIBILOGRAPHY

Help from the internet, following websites have

been used in the completion of the project

file:

WWW.WIKIPEDIA.ORG

WWW.EMBIBE.COM

WWW.SCIENCEPROJECT.COM

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