Microbial Lipase Innovation: A Green Solution for Oily Liquid Waste
Oily liquid waste in Indonesia is a serious problem, which can affect the environment, public health and economic sustainability.
Many industries produce oily wastewater, such as the oil and gas industry, shipping and shipping, food processing industry, restaurants and hotels.
Oil spills at sea and used cooking oil dumped in waterways also add to the amount of oily liquid waste in the environment. Oily waste can have adverse impacts if not managed properly, including: pollution of rivers, lakes, seas and soil, which can disrupt aquatic ecosystems, reduce soil fertility, and can affect human health.
Oil spills at sea and used cooking oil dumped in waterways also add to the amount of oily liquid waste in the environment. Oily waste can have adverse impacts if not managed properly, including: pollution of rivers, lakes, seas and soil, which can disrupt aquatic ecosystems, reduce soil fertility, and can affect human health.
However, limited effluent treatment facilities, weak supervision, lack of regulatory compliance, high cost of effluent management, and lack of public awareness make it possible for businesses and communities to dispose of oily waste directly into rivers, seas, or land without prior treatment.
Therefore, to improve oily wastewater management in Indonesia, the government can conduct public education on the adverse impacts of oily wastewater, infrastructure improvements, and the use of environmentally friendly technologies.
Green solutions for oily wastewater
Green solutions are approaches, strategies, or technologies designed to address environmental issues in a way that is sustainable, environmentally friendly, and contributes to the preservation of natural resources.
Microbial lipase enzymes are an effective and sustainable green solution to address oily wastewaters. This technology is not only environmentally friendly, but also supports efficiency in waste treatment.
With further development, microbial lipases could be the key to creating a cleaner and healthier environment, and have great potential to be applied on a wider scale, both industrially and domestically.
What is microbial lipase?
Microbial lipase is a lipase enzyme produced by microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, or yeast (for example: Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas, and Aspergillus). This enzyme is able to break down various types of fats and oils well into more biodegradable compounds, at various temperature and pH conditions, and is stable to organic solvents, making it suitable for various industrial applications.
In addition, microbial lipases are easily produced on a large scale through microbial fermentation, and can be customized for industry-specific needs through genetic modification or protein engineering. Lipase can be applied to various industries, including: biodiesel production, food/beverage processing industry, pharmaceuticals, detergents, cosmetics and skincare products.
How do microbial lipases work in treating oily waste?
Microbial lipases work by breaking down fat molecules into simpler compounds, namely fatty acids and glycerol, which can be used by other microorganisms as an energy source. This process makes the initially insoluble fat broken down into a thinner liquid, which prevents fat accumulation in pipelines and treatment tanks, and is more easily managed by the sewage treatment system.
The enzymatic process with lipase is an environmentally friendly waste management under various conditions, including extreme pH, temperature, and salinity, making it suitable for a variety of waste treatment scenarios.
Lipase works through several stages. When in contact with the substrate, the lipase enzyme binds to the surface of the fat or oil molecules present in the wastewater, then the enzyme will break the ester bonds in the oil/fat molecules through hydrolysis reactions to produce fatty acids and glycerol.
After the reaction process, the reaction product is immediately released from the active site of the enzyme, so that the enzyme is ready to catalyze the next fat molecule. Fatty acids and glycerol are more easily broken down by microorganisms in biological treatment systems.
Microbial lipase applications
Microbial lipases can be used in various wastewater treatment systems, including: (1) in pretreatment, lipase is used before biological processes to reduce fat and oil content, (2) in enzymatic bioreactors, wastewater is passed through reactors containing lipase, (3) or in combination with bioremediation, lipase is combined with degrading microorganisms to optimize the treatment process of oily wastewater.
The use of lipase in oily wastewater treatment can be applied on a small or large scale, in the food and beverage industry, restaurants and hotels, oil and gas industry, small and medium enterprises and households.
*Written by Prof. Dr. Sri Sumarsih Dra MSi, Professor of Enzyme Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Airlangga (Unair).
Republished by admin from source : Microbial Lipase Innovation: Green Solution for Oily Liquid Waste
