Faculty of Science

Objectives

To acquire hands-on industrial training on environmental biotechnologies, with very high level specialisation on one of them, e.g. bioremediation, or biogas production.

Contents

Environmental Biotechnology may include:

• Cleaning of effluents and treatment of waste

• Alternative and more environmental friendly processes

• Alternative and more environmental friendly products

Biocatalysed processes may be more environmental friendly because they give less by-products and can be run at lower temperatures. Products may be made more biodegradable, such as new types of plastic materials and polymers or new types of detergents. In practice, however, environmental biotechnology is mainly the first alternative, with fields of application such as a) biological (waste)water treatment (removal of organics, N, P, S, metals), b) biological flue gas treatment (removal of odour, sulphide, volatile aromatics), c) bioremediation of soil (degradation of xenobiotcs, oil, PAH, PCB), d) biodegradation of hazardous waste (xenobiotics, hazardous compounds), e) Biofuel and biogas production from wet organic waste.