Modern biotechnological methods in wastewater treatment: a review

Abstract

Given that water is the main solvent in living organisms as well as in domestic and industrial activities, it must be treated as carefully as possible after multiple uses to get a harmless water quality. To remove the undesirable materials (e.g. organic matters, surfactants, petroleum products, unwanted metals, dyes, et.), the physicochemical water treatment process is used as the common method. This method of wastewater treatment uses flocculation – coagulation technique, which consists of mixing coagulant matters with water to collect, in solid clusters, the materials in suspension by gravity. Recently, environmental scientists have suggested biotechnology methods as the main alternatives in the treatment of wastewater, as they offer more benefits to the water quality and human health than chemical methods. This paper describes and assesses some modern biotechnology methods used in wastewater treatment.