Biotechnology and Environmental Conservation

As human populations rise, and industries increase in number, the by-products of human and industrial existence also increase. The need to conserve the environment today is very urgent. The idea of sustainable development today is that development should meet the requirements of the present without putting at risk the ability of future generations to satisfy their own needs. The growth of the world’s population implies that there will be a constantly increasing need for clean water for both residential and industrial use. We can recycle our water without necessarily harming our environment and polluting our rivers. Larger investments are needed in order to engineer and design better equipment for wastewater treatment facilities, which will give more than adequate benefits not only for humans, but for the environment and other living creatures, as well.

One of the main uses of environmental biotechnology is in the treatment of industrial waste and wastewater. Microorganisms are important in wastewater treatment because of their capacity for increased growth and metabolism.

Bacteria are the main source for degradation. They require a source of energy and carbon for the creation of new cells and other nutrients as well as other trace elements.

All microorganisms fall into 2 main groups:

• Heterotrophic, which need organic matter to produce energy and to obtain carbon from.

• Autotrophic, which oxidize inorganic substances to produce energy, and use C02 as a carbon source.

One significant application of the science of microbiology is in wastewater treatment. To protect the environment, wastewater from various sources in a locale must be treated before it is released once more into the environment. Wastewater has a substantial amou...

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... the water quality to suffer as well. Without wastewater treatment much of the aquatic life we know would be gone.

Therefore one can see that there are plenty of advantages to using microbial methods in wastewater treatment. The main advantage would be the availability of the microorganisms that would produce the enzymes to breakdown the organic matter, as compared to preparing and using chemicals and other synthetic agents to do the same task. The use of microorganisms makes use of a natural process that will logically cost less than other non-natural methods. Finally, the environment remains relatively unharmed, as the final effluent will no longer be considered as a pollutant. The supply of bacteria is endless, and literally there are little costs involved with regard to these organisms. The benefits of healthy society and environment far outweigh the investment.