Under the dual pressures of global water scarcity and environmental pollution, water treatment technologies are transitioning from chemical reliance to eco-friendly solutions. In recent years, microbial agent-based biological treatment has emerged as a game-changer in wastewater treatment and aquatic ecosystem restoration, gaining traction for its efficiency, low-carbon footprint, and sustainability.
Microbial agents are active formulations composed of functional microorganisms such as nitrifying bacteria, denitrifying bacteria, and photosynthetic bacteria. These "invisible cleaners" metabolize organic pollutants, ammonia nitrogen, and phosphorus in wastewater, converting them into carbon dioxide, water, or harmless sediments. For example, a coastal city’s wastewater treatment plant reported a rise in ammonia nitrogen removal efficiency from 75% to 95% after adopting composite microbial agents, alongside a 30% reduction in operational costs and a 40% decrease in sludge production.
In a chemical industrial park in Jiangsu, salt-tolerant and alkali-loving microbial agents were deployed to treat high-concentration organic wastewater, overcoming inefficiencies and high costs of conventional methods. Meanwhile, in Yunnan’s Dianchi Lake basin, targeted algae-inhibiting agents increased water transparency by 50% and reduced cyanobacterial biomass by 60%. According to the 2023 China Water Treatment Technology White Paper, microbial technologies now cover 45% of industrial wastewater projects and 32% of municipal wastewater facilities nationwide.
Professor Li Jianguo from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Environmental Microbiology highlighted, “Third-generation gene-edited microbial agents are now in pilot testing, with pollutant degradation efficiency enhanced 5-8 times compared to traditional strains.” Breakthroughs in smart carrier materials have also extended microbial survival from 7 days to 90 days, significantly improving treatment stability in complex water environments.
With policies like the Guidelines for Low-Carbon Operation of Urban Wastewater Treatment, microbial technologies have been included in national green tech promotion catalogs. Industry analysts project China’s microbial water treatment market to exceed ¥58 billion (USD 8.1 billion) in 2023, growing at an annual rate of 18.7%. Leading companies such as Beijing Enterprises Water Group and OriginWater have established dedicated R&D centers, building integrated “customized tech + equipment + operational services” business models.
[Closing] From laboratories to rivers and lakes, microbial agents are scripting an ecological narrative of “healing nature with nature.” Driven by carbon neutrality goals, this silent biological revolution may redefine humanity’s relationship with water ecosystems, offering a Chinese blueprint for global sustainable development.
Contact Person: Jerry zhang
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