SUBJECT

Microbiology of environmental protection

lecture

master

Faculty of Science

Environmental Science MSc

2

Semester 3

Autumn semester

• Live organisms participate in the alteration of the status of the environment by their metabolism: transformation and use of pollutants in the energetic metabolism; assimilation of pollutants into the biomass; basics of co-metabolism (co oxidation); bioaccumulation and biomagnification. Primary and secondary metabolites as pollutants. The use of these metabolites in environmental biotechnologies.
• The technological basis of the use of microbial activities: biostimulation and bioaccumulation. Local use and global effects.
• Bioaugmentation; immobilized enzyme and cell technologies. Release of GMOs into the environment. Biotechnologies applying suspended or immobilized biomass. Growth curve, kinetics of decomposition processes, toxic effects, biofilms.
• The technology of compostation. The thermal processes in windrow composting and the underlying microbial processes/activities. Up-to-date composting technologies.
• The technologies of wastewater purification. The effect of physico-chemical treatments on the microbiota. Activated sludge, and fixed bed processes. Biological N and P removal.
• Sludge treatment. Aerobic and anaerobic sludge stabilization processes. Biogas production and use. Disposal and use of stabilized sludge.
• Alternative sewage treatment processes: lake systems, reed beads. Tertiary treatments. Disposal, and use of purified sewage.
• Technologies for soil, water and air pollution treatment. Load of the environment and self purification. No-spoil technologies. Phytoremediation.
• Drinking water production. Industrial and high purity waters. Irrigation water. Water use in „intelligent buildings”, SBS. - Microbiological analysis of the environment. Ecotoxicology. Bioindication. Risk assessment.
• Case studies in environmental biotechnologies. In-situ, on-site, etc. and combined remediation processes.

The students will be able to understand how microbes and microbial activities can be used in environmental biotechnologies. They will be acquainted with the basis of treatment technologies performed in plants, or in-situ.

• Madigan, M.T., Martinko, J.M., Stahl, D.A., Clark, D.P. (2011): Brock Biology of Microorganisms. Benjamin Cummings, pp. 1100.
• Barton. L.L., Northup, D.E. 2011. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY. WILEY, pp. 420.
• Tóth, E., Márialigeti, K. 2013. Practical microbiology. Eötvös University, pp. 223.