Biological Conversion of Urban Organic Waste to Control Antibiotics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for high-value biological conversion of urban organic waste are hindered by the inhibitory effects of antibiotics and heavy metal ions, leading to environmental pollution and reduced product quality, with existing treatments being inefficient and chemically intensive.
Innovation Solution
A method involving acclimation of sludge with organic acids followed by anaerobic culture with denitrifying and exoelectrogenic bacteria to degrade antibiotics and reduce heavy metal ions, utilizing a controlled pH and temperature regimen to enhance microbial activity and organic acid production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional biological conversion methods are used to convert urban organic waste into methane and hydrogen, then energy production is achieved, but the presence of antibiotics and heavy metal ions causes inhibition effects on microbial activity and environmental pollution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by using the harmful antibiotics and heavy metal ions as substrates for microbial degradation. Specialized microorganisms are introduced that can metabolize these toxic substances, converting them from harmful inhibitors into beneficial products (organic acids, carbon dioxide, and water). This transforms the inhibition effect into a productive function, simultaneously treating the waste and producing valuable chemicals.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by optimizing pH, temperature, and microbial community composition to enable the degradation of antibiotics and heavy metals. By controlling these parameters, the system creates optimal conditions for specialized microorganisms to thrive and convert toxic substances into organic acids, thereby resolving the inhibition effect while maintaining high productivity.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If chemical treatment methods are used to remove antibiotics and heavy metal ions, then hazardous substance removal is achieved, but chemical agents cause secondary pollution and increased process complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces chemical treatment methods with a biological system. Instead of using chemical agents to precipitate or oxidize contaminants, the invention employs microorganisms that biologically degrade antibiotics and reduce heavy metal ions through metabolic processes. This substitution eliminates the need for additional chemical agents, preventing secondary pollution while maintaining effective hazardous substance removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The biological conversion system is self-service in that the microorganisms naturally degrade the toxic substances as part of their metabolic activity. The system uses the contaminants themselves as substrates for growth and energy production, eliminating the need for external chemical treatments. The organic acids produced during degradation can be directly utilized, creating a self-sustaining process without secondary pollution.
3Ease of operation
If urban organic waste is directly discharged into the environment without treatment, then operational simplicity is maintained, but severe environmental pollution and waste of organic resources occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a system that simultaneously performs multiple functions: it treats urban organic waste, degrades antibiotics, reduces heavy metal ions, and produces valuable organic acids. This multi-functional approach consolidates several treatment processes into one system, maintaining operational simplicity while comprehensively addressing environmental pollution and resource waste through a single integrated biological conversion process.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly increases the yield of organic acids like acetic, propanoic, and lactic acid, reduces residual hazardous substances, and minimizes environmental pollution without chemical agents, improving the high-value utilization of urban organic waste.
Implementation Method 1
antibiotics may also induce microbes in the environment to mutate and produce resistance genes
Implementation Method 2
The heavy metal ions are mainly removed by methods such as the chemical precipitation method, oxidation reduction treatment
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a method of reducing and controlling a hazardous substance in a process of high-value biological conversion of an urban organic waste. The method includes: 1) mixing a sludge, a first urban organic waste and an organic acid with water for acclimation to obtain an acclimatized sludge; 2) stage 1 of biological conversion: mixing the acclimatized sludge with a second urban organic waste to perform anaerobic culture; 3) stage 2 of biological conversion: adding nitrate and bacteria to continue anaerobic culture so as to obtain an organic acid. In the present invention, sludge microbes are acclimatized and then added to high-value chemicals such as acetic acid, propanoic acid and lactic acid prepared in biological conversion of the urban organic waste and then added with bacteria. Thus, by controlling pH value, microbe addition amount and nitrate concentration, the unfavorable effect of the antibiotics and heavy metal ions.