Kerala, India-based Synthite said it has adopted a new enzyme technology from Sydney, Australia-based BiOWiSH Technologies to eliminate chemicals, reduce energy use, and eliminate the production of sludge at its industrial wastewater treatment plant in southern India.

The production of spice oleoresins uses a variety of raw materials, creating wastewater with a wide range of acidity levels. Previously, Synthite would monitor the pH and correspondingly adjust the lime dosing, but the process was imperfect.

“Anytime we got the pH wrong, it would take days to recover from a spike in suspended solids,” said B. Shavanas, Synthite’s engineering manager, in a news release.

The chemical use made the company’s sludge into hazardous waste subject to regulatory controls. In addition, an energy-intensive aeration processes was necessary to sustain the microbial population digesting the sludge.

In a three-month trial, Synthite used specialty high-speed enzymes from BiOWiSH to break down the organic waste. The plant was been able to eliminate lime dosing and sludge, and reduce energy consumption by limiting the use of aerators. In al, Synthite reported a 50 percent reduction in operating costs of the plant.

BiOWiSH’s enzyme technology also has applications in agriculture, solid waste management, livestock farming and consumer products …