“The creation of biological sorbents for the effective “destruction” of oil pollution based on production waste is especially relevant now. We used fiber waste that is formed at pulp and paper enterprises. At the moment, these wastes are accumulating and occupy large territories”, says Daria Efremova, the author of the project and student of the Faculty of Chemical Technologies, Industrial Ecology and Biotechnology of Perm Polytech .
Anastasia Yakunina, a student of the Faculty of Chemical Technologies, Industrial Ecology and Biotechnology, also took part in the development.
The environmentalists have already received prototypes of a new oil-biological sorbent. The product is easy to use and non-toxic to humans and the environment.
“We are studying how microbiocenosis, namely industrial waste, is formed on the surface of the carrier. If it is selected correctly, it stimulates microbial metabolism. The carrier performs a protective function for living cells from adverse environmental conditions and helps to preserve the biochemical activity of microorganisms”, explains Ekaterina Belik, scientific supervisor of the developer, associate professor of the Department of Environmental Protection at Perm Polytech , researcher at the Laboratory of Rational Nature Management and Nature-like Technologies, Candidate of Technical Sciences.
According to the researchers, various biological sorbents based on natural (peat, perlite, expanded clay) and artificial materials (polypropylene, teflon) are used nowadays. Of great interest is the use of waste products and oil-oxidizing microorganisms as “destroyers” of oil. The development of Perm Polytech scientists will allow solving two tasks at once: purifying water and soil from hydrocarbons and reducing the volume of accumulated waste from paper-producing enterprises.
The new biological sorbent will be useful for implementation at the enterprises of the oil and gas sector and in companies that specialize in cleaning soil and water from oil and petroleum products.