ABSTRACT
Several chemical and biochemical industries are posing severe environmental pollution. This is mainly due to the presence of organic and inorganic materials present in the wastewater. Biological wastewater treatment processes remove soluble or insoluble biodegradable organic materials. Organic wastes are usually available in two different forms: solid and liquid. These wastes are mostly degraded by using both aerobic and anaerobic fermentation processes. Aerobic composting processes by using solid organic wastes are largely in operation. The activated sludge process (ASP) is similar to the continuous stirred tank reactor with cell mass recycling. Zoogloea ramigera is a common bacterium used in the ASP. The important characteristic of the organism and others in the sludge is their capacity for synthesizing and secreting a polysaccharide gel. The microbes tend to agglomerate into flocs with the help of this gel.
