Mushroom waste to clean water: IIT-G's innovation fights contamination

The Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IIT-G) researchers have developed a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to traditional wastewater treatment techniques. The innovation combines biochar produced from spent mushroom waste with laccase, a naturally occurring enzyme, officials said.

The technology -- BHEEMA (Biochar-based Hydrological Enzyme regulated Efficient Mechanism for Antibiotics removal) employs laccase-mediated degradation to remove antibiotics from wastewater, preventing the formation of toxic byproducts commonly associated with conventional treatment methods.

The findings of this research have been published in the prestigious Journal of Environmental Management.

The developed system has been recognised as the top seventh finalist under the Water Sanitation theme of the Vishwakarma Awards 2024, organised by the Maker Bhavan Foundation.

According to Sudip Mitra, the Head of the School of Agro and Rural Technology at IIT Guwahati, the research team targeted the removal of harmful fluoroquinolone group of antibiotics, including Ciprofloxacin, Levofloxacin, and Norfloxacin, generally found in hospital discharge, industrial effluents and surface water.

"Contrary to traditional wastewater treatment methods such as advanced oxidation and membrane reactors, which are both costly and generate secondary pollutants, our approach uses laccase, a naturally occurring enzyme, to degrade the contaminants.

"To make the enzyme stable for reusability, our research group immobilised it on biochar derived from spent mushroom waste, an easily available agro-waste product in this region," Mitra told PTI.

The developed biochar is a cost-effective, scalable, and sustainable alternative to activated charcoal.

On a lab scale, within three hours of application, the developed system achieved 90-95 per cent degradation efficiency of the fluoroquinolone antibiotics.

"Another key feature of the developed system is that the byproducts recorded in the degradation process are non-toxic, making the technology sustainable and safe for the environment," said Anamika Ghose, a PhD scholar.

The prototype has been developed in collaboration with Latha Rangan, a professor at the Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT-Guwahati, along with her research scholars.

At a laboratory scale, the developed prototype costs between Rs 4,000-5,000, covering materials, enzyme immobilization, and reactor setup, making it a feasible option for scaling up and adoption in both urban and rural settings.

In the next step, the research team is working towards scaling up the developed prototype by engaging with stakeholders for field testing and market validation.

The research team recently organized a hands-on training session for farmers on Biochar preparation and its multiple benefits for agriculture.

Conducted in collaboration with the District Agricultural Office of Morigaon at their office premise, a total of 30 local farmers attended the training session.