BITS-Pilani Hyd researchers develop low-energy system to treat biopharma wastewater
Researchers at BITS Pilani, Hyderabad, have developed a low-energy, three-stage system to treat biopharmaceutical wastewater. The technology disinfects effluent and recovers biogas without the need for chemicals or heat.
Why it matters
This innovation offers a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to energy-intensive industrial waste treatment, potentially reducing the environmental footprint of vaccine manufacturing.
Researchers at BITS Pilani, Hyderabad, on Thursday, announced the development of a low-energy wastewater treatment technology that can disinfect biopharmaceutical wastewater while recovering reusable water and methane-rich biogas, offering a sustainable solution for one of the most challenging industrial effluents.
The technology, demonstrated at the laboratory scale, is being taken forward 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 programme, and the core disinfection technology has been filed for an Indian patent, said an official release.
Biopharmaceutical fermentation wastewater is considered difficult to treat because it contains large quantities of live production micro-organisms, residual antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes. Industries currently rely on chemical treatment and steam-based autoclaving to eliminate biosafety risks, a process that is both energy-intensive and costly.
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