Cultivation of Aniline-degrading Bacteria to Enhance Textile Dyeing Wastewater Treatment

Aniline compounds are micro-pollutants in textile dyeing wastewater which are recognised as environmental endocrine disruptors that endanger human health and cause serious environmental pollution. China has implemented new stringent discharge standard that requires aniline compounds concentration down to below detection limit (i.e. 0.03 mg/L) in 2015. Traditional wastewater treatment systems cannot effectively remove aniline pollutants, leading to high chemical consumption and operation costs.

• Identification of aniline compounds-degrading bacteria through DNA sequencing of the indigenous microbial population in the existing textile wastewater treatment plants
• Cultivation and enrichment of aniline compounds-degrading bacteria by using the untreated wastewater from existing treatment facilities and aniline compounds
• Immobilisation of enriched microbial strains as biofilm on MBBR carriers

• The taxonomic identification method developed can enable an in-depth understanding of the microbial population in biological treatment
• The integrated method of taxonomic analysis, microbial enrichment and immobilisation can optimise the microbial composition so as to increase the specialised microbial populations
• This invention provides a sustainable and economic solution for textile wastewater treatment by eliminating the use of physiochemical treatment, reduction of capital investment and long-term operating cost.

• Gold Medal at the “2021 Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions”

• China Invention Patent (File no.: 342915055)
• Hong Kong Short-term patent (File no.: 32020015338.7)