NEW DELHI, Jan 2: A new filling agent for bio-filtering water has been developed by Russian scientists.The filling agent, consisting of some micro-organisms within porous ceramic assemblies of claydite clays, can process the environmentally hazardous components of water.
Such bio-filters, prepared from redoksid claydites, can purify wastewater from processing enterprises like meat canneries, dairies, industrial refineries and transport depots and pools, reports Russian news agency `Ria Novosti'.
These porous ceramic fillers ensure a low cost substitute to conventional filters and boost the efficacy of filtration by four to five times.
Laboratory tests show that micro-organisms in redoksid claydites reduce the hydrocarbon content of wastewater by more than 400 times.
The filter can combat organic pollutants like phenols, aniline, certain chlorine derivatives and sulfur containing organic compounds. They are also effective against ammonium compounds and other chemicals.
In one of the experiments,
the concentration of oil entering the filter was 132 milligrams per litre of which only 0.3 milligram avoided filtration. The effective performance of bio-filter to remove organic pollutants is due to five to six times more oxidising property of the filler material.
Vat Company, Moscow, which has developed the new filter, has also established a purificatioin station, `Redoksitank', for thorough biological purification of wastewater containing different types of pollutants.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
