VATIS UPDATE Article

India’s state-owned Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) will use biological technology for the first time to treat waste water in its iron and steel plants. The technology - developed by SAIL in collaboration with the biotechnology department of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in New Delhi and the civil engineering department of Jamia Milia Islamia University - will remove toxic components, like cyanide, phenol and ammonia from industrial wastewater without using any chemicals.

Named mixed microbial consortium (MMC), the three tier cleansing technology is cost-effective and can be used in steel plants already in operation and upcoming greenfield projects, SAIL’s Ranchi-based Research and Development Centre for Iron and Steel (RDCIS) said. Sources said microbes and roots of three plants will be used to break down cyanide, phenol and ammonia particles into lesser toxic chemicals like carbon dioxide, nitrogen and nitrous oxide.

“The biological technology will be able to reduce the presence of toxic chemicals in water to less than 2 parts per million (PPM) cubic meter,” Ujjwal Bhaskar, chief of communications of SAIL RDCIS told TOI. The three tier step will comprise bio-remediation, bio-leeching and biospotion, SAIL said. “In layman’s language, the microbes will see the toxic particles as their food and degenerate it after devouring. The microbes in turn will degenerate themselves,” Bhaskar added.