Author – Ritesh Ranjan: Industrial wastewater treatment is one of the most important sustainability challenges facing the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical sectors. Wastewater generated during fermentation and vaccine manufacturing can contain live microorganisms, residual antibiotics, organic pollutants and antibiotic resistance genes. Treating this complex waste stream safely often requires significant amounts of energy, chemicals and infrastructure.
Researchers at BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus have developed an integrated low-energy wastewater treatment technology that could provide the biopharmaceutical industry with a cleaner, more economical and environmentally responsible alternative.
The newly developed system combines Pulsed Electric Field technology, biological wastewater treatment and biogas recovery in a three-stage process. It is designed to disinfect industrial wastewater, reduce organic pollution, recover reusable water and generate methane-rich biogas from the remaining sludge.
The technology was developed by the BITS Environmental Science and Technology Laboratory, also known as the BEST Laboratory, in the Department of Biological Sciences at BITS Pilani Hyderabad Campus.
Addressing a Major Biopharmaceutical Wastewater Challenge
Biopharmaceutical fermentation wastewater is more difficult to treat than many conventional industrial waste streams. It may contain active microbial cultures, antibiotic residues and genetic material associated with antimicrobial resistance.
If this wastewater is released without adequate treatment, it can create biosafety and environmental risks. For this reason, pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing facilities commonly use chemical disinfectants or steam-based autoclaving before the wastewater undergoes further treatment.
Although these conventional methods can provide effective sterilisation, they also have several limitations. Steam-based systems require substantial energy, while chemical treatments may increase operating costs and produce additional chemical waste.
The BITS Pilani Hyderabad research team sought to develop an alternative that could achieve effective disinfection while reducing the dependence on heat and chemicals.
Their solution integrates electrical disinfection, biological pollutant removal and anaerobic energy recovery into a single wastewater management system.
Who Developed the Technology?
The research project is led by Prof. Sankar Ganesh Palani from the Department of Biological Sciences at BITS Pilani Hyderabad Campus.
The multidisciplinary team also includes Prof. Mithun Mondal from the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering and research scholar Ravindra Dnyanaba Kulal.
The project received support from the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, under its Water Technology Initiative. The research was undertaken as part of the Optimum Water Use in Industrial Sectors programme.
The core disinfection technology has also been filed for an Indian patent, indicating its potential for future commercialisation and industrial application.
How the Three-Stage Wastewater Treatment System Works
The proposed wastewater treatment system consists of three connected stages. Each stage addresses a different part of the treatment process.
Stage 1: Disinfection Using Pulsed Electric Fields
The first stage uses Pulsed Electric Field, or PEF, technology to disinfect biopharmaceutical wastewater.
PEF treatment applies extremely short, high-voltage electrical pulses to the wastewater. These electrical pulses create permanent openings in bacterial cell membranes through a process known as irreversible electroporation.
Once the bacterial cell membrane is damaged beyond repair, the microorganism becomes inactive.
Unlike steam sterilisation, the PEF process does not require high temperatures. It also avoids the need for chemical disinfectants, making it a potentially cleaner and more energy-efficient treatment option.
During laboratory testing with actual biopharmaceutical wastewater, the system achieved more than 99.9999 per cent bacterial inactivation. According to the research information, this level of disinfection is comparable to autoclave-based sterilisation while requiring considerably less energy.
Effective disinfection at the beginning of the treatment process can also improve safety during the subsequent biological treatment stages.
Stage 2: Biological Treatment Using an SBR
After electrical disinfection, the wastewater moves to a Sequencing Batch Reactor, commonly known as an SBR.
An SBR is a biological wastewater treatment system in which naturally occurring microorganisms break down organic pollutants. The treatment takes place in controlled cycles within the same reactor.
In the BITS Pilani system, this stage removes more than 90 per cent of the organic load from the wastewater.
Reducing the organic load is essential because high concentrations of biodegradable material can consume oxygen in receiving water bodies and negatively affect aquatic ecosystems.
Following biological treatment and suitable membrane filtration, the recovered water can approach the quality required for reuse. Depending on industrial requirements and applicable standards, this water could potentially be used for non-potable processes within a manufacturing facility.
Water reuse can reduce the demand for freshwater while supporting more efficient industrial water management.
Stage 3: Biogas Recovery Through Anaerobic Digestion
The final stage focuses on treating the sludge produced during the biological treatment process.
The researchers use their patented Intelligently Stirred Thermophilic Anaerobic Reactor, known as iSTAR®, to convert the remaining organic material into methane-rich biogas.
Anaerobic digestion takes place in the absence of oxygen. Microorganisms break down organic matter and produce biogas, which usually contains methane and carbon dioxide.
The methane-rich gas generated by the reactor can be used as an energy source. It may help meet a portion of the wastewater treatment plant’s energy requirements, reducing its dependence on external energy supplies.
By combining sludge treatment with energy recovery, the system treats wastewater as a potential resource rather than simply as waste requiring disposal.
Supporting Water Reuse and Zero Liquid Discharge
The integrated technology could also support zero liquid discharge strategies.
Zero liquid discharge involves treating and recovering wastewater so that little or no liquid waste leaves an industrial facility. Although achieving complete zero liquid discharge can require additional treatment stages, recovering reusable water is an important step toward this objective.
For water-intensive pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing facilities, recycling treated water can improve operational resilience, particularly in regions experiencing groundwater stress or limited water availability.
The three-stage system therefore addresses multiple sustainability priorities at once: wastewater disinfection, pollution reduction, water recovery, sludge management and renewable energy generation.
Moving From Laboratory Testing to Industrial Deployment
The technology has already been demonstrated at the laboratory scale. The research team is now working with Biological E. Limited to explore industrial-scale deployment.
Biological E. Limited is a vaccine and pharmaceutical manufacturer based in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. Collaboration with an operating industrial facility can help the researchers evaluate the system under practical manufacturing conditions.
Scaling a wastewater treatment technology from the laboratory to an industrial plant requires consideration of several factors, including wastewater volume, pollutant variability, energy consumption, equipment durability and compliance with environmental standards.
Successful scale-up could make the technology relevant not only to vaccine manufacturers but also to pharmaceutical plants, fermentation facilities and other industries that produce high-strength biological wastewater.
A Step Toward More Sustainable Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
The BITS Pilani Hyderabad innovation demonstrates how multiple treatment technologies can be combined to address complex industrial wastewater challenges.
Its Pulsed Electric Field stage provides high-level microbial inactivation without relying on heat or chemicals. The Sequencing Batch Reactor reduces organic pollution, while the iSTAR® anaerobic reactor converts sludge into methane-rich biogas.
Together, these stages could help industries lower energy consumption, improve water reuse and recover useful resources from wastewater.
The technology also reflects a broader shift toward circular industrial systems in which water, energy and organic materials are recovered and reused wherever possible.
If successfully demonstrated at an industrial scale, the system could offer pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical manufacturers a practical pathway toward cleaner production, improved resource efficiency and a lower environmental footprint.
It could also serve as a model for the treatment of other complex industrial waste streams in India and international markets.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What wastewater treatment technology has BITS Pilani Hyderabad developed?
Researchers at BITS Pilani Hyderabad have developed a three-stage wastewater treatment system that combines Pulsed Electric Field disinfection, biological treatment through a Sequencing Batch Reactor and methane-rich biogas production through anaerobic digestion.
2. Why is biopharmaceutical wastewater difficult to treat?
Biopharmaceutical wastewater may contain live microorganisms, residual antibiotics, antibiotic resistance genes and high levels of organic pollutants. These components can create biosafety and environmental risks if the wastewater is not properly disinfected and treated.
3. What is Pulsed Electric Field technology?
Pulsed Electric Field technology uses short, high-voltage electrical pulses to damage bacterial cell membranes. The process, known as irreversible electroporation, inactivates microorganisms without requiring chemical disinfectants or high-temperature steam treatment.
4. Can the treated wastewater be reused?
The biological treatment stage removes more than 90 per cent of the organic load. After additional membrane filtration and quality assessment, the treated water can approach reuse quality and may support industrial water recycling or zero liquid discharge initiatives.
5. Does the treatment process generate renewable energy?
Yes. The sludge remaining after biological treatment is processed in the patented iSTAR® anaerobic reactor. This process produces methane-rich biogas that could help meet part of the wastewater treatment plant’s energy requirements.