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| Dr. Lud Waluyo, M. Kes, a lecturer from Biology UMM which utilizes microbes to dispose of waste (Photo: special) |
As the population increases and consumption patterns change, the domestic wastewater produced by the community is becoming increasingly worrisome. The impact of this liquid waste, which mostly comes from households, not only causes environmental pollution but also causes various infectious diseases through contaminated water.
In response to this problem, Dr. Lud Waluyo, M. Kes., as a biology lecturer at the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM), also provided an innovation in overcoming domestic wastewater through the use of microbes. "Domestic wastewater requires special handling. This waste must be controlled and treated before disposal in order to avoid negative impacts on health and the environment, especially due to the content of hazardous chemicals in it," he said.
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Furthermore, he mentioned that household waste contains waste residues that are easily decomposed and also not easily decomposed. As for substances that are not easily decomposed, they are germ- and insect-killing agents, detergent residues, and pesticides. Therefore, it requires a special method to be decomposed effectively.
Microbiologically, one of the ways to deal with this is by utilizing indigenous microbial isolates that have the potential to decompose waste. Through this research, Lud also attempted to accelerate the waste decomposition process using microbes that were proven to reduce waste decomposition time to only a week.
This research uses a microbial consortium, which is a combination of more than two types of bacteria that work together to decompose waste. In this research, four types of bacteria that have been tested show effective performance in decomposing waste components such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins that cause bad odors. With the decomposition of proteins, the unpleasant odor that usually arises from wastewater can be eliminated.
Household waste contains more than just carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, it also contains heavy metals that are harmful to human health. A small concentration of heavy metals can kill microbes. However, the microbes in this study were able to survive and decompose the waste even under conditions containing heavy metals.
"The results of this research can be used for various types of domestic liquid waste, such as sewage, bath water, detergent, and even septic tanks. In addition, the inoculum consortium formula can also act as a biological biopesticide because it can kill pathogens," he explained.
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Interestingly, the research conducted by UMM biology lecturers received funding from Applied Research for Higher Education Excellence. In addition, this innovation has great potential to be further developed in the management of industrial waste, which has a heavier pollution load.
"The waste decomposed by bacteria can then be further decomposed by aquatic plants before being discharged into the environment. This process is not only effective in reducing pollution but also in mitigating the impact of heavy metals, which are often the cause of health problems such as autism in children," he concluded. (lai/wil/put)
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