Bio-Gill wastewater treatment

Bio-Gill’s wastewater treatment technology was invented in the laboratories of the Australian federal government agency, ANSTO, and commercial systems are now running in both Australia and Fiji.

The bio-gills system is manufactured using nanoparticulate membranes incorporated into a bioreactor that effectively operates as both a ‘stomach’ and a ‘lung’. Bacteria and other microorganisms ‘eat’ waste out of the water and ‘breathe’ air to grow and multiply.

According to Bio-Gill Chief Executive John West, the system is a groundbreaking invention and radically different from conventional bioreactors, as the gills are not submerged. Instead, the gills, composed of membrane sheets arranged vertically in pairs, are suspended in the air, above ground with wastewater travelling down between them. Fungi and bacteria grow on the membranes in direct contact with the air, which is claimed to eat nutrients faster than other systems, because of the very high level of oxygen available. Fats, oils and grease can also be consumed by the microorganisms as they are always exposed to air.

Bio-gills are suitable for small- to large-scale treatment of sewage, blackwater, greywater and industrial wastewaters from food processors, canneries, breweries, wineries, abattoirs and rendering plants and offer a cost-effective alternative to current technologies.