ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY

Paper Code: 
MBL 601
Credits: 
03
Contact Hours: 
45
Objective: 

This paper will enable students to:

  • Understand and know various aspects of environment, its composition and properties.
  • Understand the significance of various components of environment.
  • To be aware of various types of biogeochemical cycles.
  • Know the concepts of biodegradation, biodetorioration, and bioleaching.
9.00
Unit I: 
Microbiology of Air, Water and Soil

Air, water and soil environment.

 Microbial population of air, water and soil.          

9.00
Unit II: 
Biogeochemical Cycles

Carbon  Cycle, Nitrogen Cycle, Sulphur Cycle, Phosphorus Cycle, Iron, Si, Mn, heavy metals cycles. Hydrogen and Oxygen Cycle. Iron Siderophores

 

9.00
Unit III: 
Solid and Liquid Waste Disposal

Sanitary landfills, composting, treatment of liquid waste, sewage treatment.

Primary treatment, secondary treatment, tertiary treatment. Treatment and safety of  water supplies. Disinfection of potable water supplies. Indicators of water potability and safety.

9.00
Unit IV: 
Biodegradation

Biodegradation of natural compounds (cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignin, starch, chitin, methanogenesis and acetogenesis), Biodegradation of environmental pollutants (Pesticides, synthetic polymers, detergents and hydrocarbons)

Xenobiotics, bioaccumulation, biomagnification, GMOs and their impact

9.00
Unit V: 
Biodeterioration and Bioleaching

Biodeterioration -definition, biodetorioration of paper and paper pulp, wood, paint, textiles, leather, metals (corrosion). Control of biodetorioration.

Bioleaching -definition, Bioleaching of metals, Microbial enhanced oil recovery.

ESSENTIAL READINGS: 
  1. Plant, Gene and Crop Biotechnology, M J Chrispeel and D E  Sadava ASPB 2003.
  2. Textbook of Environmental Biotechnology, P K Mohapatra, I K International Publications, Mumbai, 2006.
  3. Environmental Chemistry, A K De, Willey Eastern Ltd., New Delhi.
  4. Advances in Industrial Waste water treatment, First Edition, Technosound Publications. 1999.
  5. Microbial Ecology- Fundamentals & Applications, 4th Edition, Ronald . M. Atlas, Richard Bartha, Pearsrson Publication. 2005.
REFERENCES: 
  1. Wastewater Engineering- Treatment, Disposal and Resuse, Metcall and Eddy, Inc., Tata McGraw Hill, New Delhi., 1999
  2. Comprehensive Biotechnology, Vol.4, M. Moo- Young (Ed-in-chief), Pergamon Press, Oxford.
  3. Introduction to Biodeterioration. D Allsopp and K J Seal, ELBS/Edward Arnold.
  4. Bioremediation Engineering: design and Application,  Cookson, J T  McGraw- Hill, Inc.1995
  5. Environmental Biotechnology – Basic concepts and applications, Indu Shekhar Thakur, I K International publications. 2006
Academic Year: 
2014-2015
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