BITS Pilani Hyderabad develops technology to recycle biopharma wastewater

Researchers at the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani's Hyderabad campus have developed an integrated, low-energy technology to treat biopharmaceutical wastewater, enabling the recovery of reusable water and methane-rich biogas.

The project is supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) under the Water Technology Initiative. The research team has also filed an Indian patent for the disinfection technology and is working with Hyderabad-based vaccine manufacturer Biological E. Limited to scale up the system for industrial use.

Speaking about the research, Sankar Ganesh Palani, department of biological sciences, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad campus, said, "Conventional treatment of biopharmaceutical fermentation wastewater consumes significant quantities of chemicals and thermal energy. Our integrated approach demonstrates that it is possible to safely disinfect this complex wastewater using electrical pulses while simultaneously recovering valuable resources, including reusable water and clean energy. We hope this technology will support industries in reducing their environmental footprint while improving the sustainability of wastewater management”.

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Three-stage treatment system

The treatment process begins with PEF technology, which uses high-voltage electrical pulses to destroy bacteria without chemicals or heat. According to the researchers, laboratory tests achieved over 99.9999 per cent bacterial inactivation while reducing energy consumption compared to conventional sterilisation methods.

In the second stage, the disinfected wastewater undergoes biological treatment in a Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR), removing more than 90 per cent of the organic pollutants. The treated water can then be filtered for reuse.

The final stage uses the patented Intelligently Stirred Thermophilic Anaerobic Reactor (iSTAR®) to convert residual sludge into methane-rich biogas, which can partially meet the energy needs of the treatment plant.