The Amalgam Blogs

Overview Nitrogen and phosphorus are common nutrients in industrial wastewater. If too much reaches rivers or lakes, it can cause heavy algae and plant growth, which can lower oxygen levels in the water. Industries may need special treatment stages to control these nutrients before discharge. Choosing nutrient removal equipment for industrial wastewater depends on the type of wastewater, nitrogen and phosphorus levels, discharge limits and the existing treatment plant. This b

Overview Nitrogen and phosphorus are needed for plant growth, but too much of them in treated wastewater can harm rivers and lakes. Treatment plants use biological, chemical and physical methods to bring these nutrients down before discharge. The right method depends on the wastewater, nutrient levels and local discharge limits. This blog explains the main technologies used for nutrient removal in wastewater treatment, including nitrification, denitrification, biological phos

Overview An aerobic digester depends on microorganisms and oxygen to break down organic matter in sludge. When conditions inside the tank change, digestion can slow down. Operators may notice foam, poor sludge settling, bad odour or rising solids. Good aerobic digester troubleshooting starts by finding the cause rather than treating only the visible problem. This blog covers common aerobic digester problems, including low dissolved oxygen, weak biomass, foaming and poor aerat

Overview Aerobic and anaerobic treatment both use microorganisms to break down organic matter in wastewater, but their running costs can be quite different. Aerobic systems need a continuous supply of air, while anaerobic systems work without oxygen. This difference affects electricity use, sludge production, equipment and daily plant operation. The operational costs of aerobic vs anaerobic treatment also depend on wastewater strength, plant size and discharge requirements. T

"निर्मल गंगा, अविरल गंगा" - A Clean Ganga, A Continuous Ganga. For millions of Indians, the Ganga is more than a river. She is faith, culture, livelihood, and life itself. Yet, every day, untreated wastewater, organic waste, and pollution quietly find their way into her waters. Protecting the Ganga is not the responsibility of one organisation or one initiative, it is a collective commitment towards the generations that will inherit her. At Amalgam Biotech, we believe meaning

Overview Bad smells from a sewage treatment plant can quickly lead to complaints from workers, nearby residents and visitors. We first looked at masking agents, which cover the smell for a short period. But covering an odour does not deal with the compounds producing it. This changed how we approached malodour removal in STP operations. Instead of focusing only on what people could smell, we looked at oxidation-based treatment that acts on odour-causing compounds. This blog e

Overview An STP can meet its treated-water discharge limits and still cause serious odour complaints. In many cases, the smell starts before the final treatment stage, often in collection tanks, sludge areas or places where sewage remains stagnant. Hydrogen sulphide, low oxygen, sludge build-up and long holding periods are common causes of sewage treatment plant odour. This blog explains why discharge compliance does not always mean an odour-free STP, how operators can trace

Overview A strong rotten-egg smell from an ETP collection tank often points to hydrogen sulphide formation under low-oxygen conditions. Effective odour control in ETP begins with identifying the source of the smell and treating the wastewater rather than covering the odour with fragrance. In this case, stagnant wastewater, poor oxygen levels and old sludge had created conditions for H₂S and other odour-causing compounds to form. An oxidation-based treatment was applied direct

Overview A bad smell in treated wastewater does not always mean the biological system has failed. In this ETP, COD removal had improved and the biomass had recovered, yet the treated water still carried an unpleasant odour. The investigation showed that the problem was occurring further down the treatment line. Residual sulphides, other odour-causing compounds or conditions inside treated-water storage can cause a treated wastewater smell even after biological treatment. This

Overview A sudden high BOD load can make microorganisms consume oxygen faster than an aeration system can supply it. In this ETP, dissolved oxygen continued to fall even though the blowers were running. Before adding more oxygen, we checked the organic load, aeration equipment, DO, pH and biomass condition. Once a temporary oxygen shortage was confirmed, an oxygen booster for wastewater treatment was used to support the biological process. This blog explains BOD shock load ma

Overview A running blower does not always mean microorganisms are receiving enough oxygen. In this aeration tank, bubbles were visible, but dissolved oxygen remained low and the active biomass started weakening. Poor oxygen transfer, blocked diffusers or a sudden rise in BOD/COD load can create an aeration tank oxygen deficiency even when aeration equipment is running. This blog explains what causes low dissolved oxygen in aeration tank conditions, how low DO affects MLSS and

If your MLSS is in range, pH is stable, DO is adequate and BOD removal is still poor, the answer is almost certainly micronutrient deficiency in wastewater treatment. This is the most underdiagnosed failure in biological treatment, costing plants months of poor performance before anyone looks at it. Here is exactly what micronutrients do inside an aeration tank, how to spot deficiency, and what a targeted wastewater treatment nutrient supplement can do to fix it. Table of Con

Overview Urea and DAP are commonly added to biological wastewater treatment systems to provide nitrogen and phosphorus for microbial growth. But reducing their dosage too quickly can disturb the nutrient balance and affect MLSS. In this ETP, we reduced urea and DAP dosage by 60% while maintaining MLSS stability in the aeration tank. Instead of making a sudden cut, the dosage was reduced gradually while an alternative nutrient source was introduced. This blog explains reducing

Overview A pharmaceutical ETP was using starch as an external carbon source, but the BOD ratio remained low and MLVSS was not improving as expected. This raised concerns about how much usable carbon was actually reaching the microorganisms. The plant then switched to a metered liquid carbon source based on complex polysaccharides. After the change, both the BOD ratio and MLVSS improved. This blog compares starch vs liquid carbon source in wastewater, explains why consistent c

Overview Our ETP failed commissioning twice even though the aeration equipment was running and bacteria had been added. MLSS simply would not build up as expected. The investigation eventually showed that the wastewater entering the biological tank did not contain enough biodegradable organic matter to feed the microorganisms. The bacteria were present, but they were short of carbon. We then reviewed the BOD COD ratio in biological systems and introduced a measured carbon sou

Overview A washroom can be cleaned several times a day and still smell unpleasant. In busy offices, hospitals, hotels, malls and other commercial buildings, the problem often sits below the surface. Urine residue, organic waste and deposits can collect around urinals, toilet bowls and inside pipelines. Air fresheners may cover the smell for a while, but they do not remove these deposits. Good washroom hygiene management for commercial facilities in India needs regular surface

Yes, most commercial toilet cleaners in India contain hydrochloric acid (HCl) at concentrations of 5–15%, which permanently etches ceramic glaze, corrodes metal pipe fittings, degrades rubber seals, and destroys septic tank biology with every application. The damage is invisible early and irreversible late Table of Contents 01. Overview 02. Ceramic Damage 03. Pipeline Corrosion 04. Septic Tank Damage 05. Toilet Cleaner Fumes 06. Enzyme Toilet Cleaners 07. Acid vs Enzyme 08. S

The right floor cleaner for high-traffic areas in India must meet three non-negotiable criteria: effective pathogen elimination, surface safety under repeated daily use, and compliance with sector-specific standards such as NABH for hospitals and Kayakalp for government health facilities. One product cannot serve all three environments equally; here is how to choose correctly. Table of Contents 01. Overview 02. Hospitals 03. Schools 04. Offices 05. Choosing the Right Floor Cl

Chemical floor cleaners, particularly acidic, bleach-based, and high-alkalinity formulas, physically etch and degrade marble, granite, and natural stone with every application. Enzyme-based floor cleaners work at a biological level, breaking down organic soil without altering surface chemistry. The stone stays clean and intact. Table of Contents 01. Overview 02. Chemical Damage 03. Marble Dullness 04. Enzyme-Based Cleaning 05. Enzyme vs Chemical 06. Maintenance Cost 07. Concl

Overview Commercial facilities use different cleaners for floors, desks, counters and other surfaces. This means more storage space, higher cleaning costs and more time spent choosing the correct product. An all-in-one commercial cleaner can reduce the number of products needed for daily cleaning. One cleaner may be suitable for several surfaces, depending on its ingredients and the manufacturer's instructions. Hotels, offices and retail stores can use fewer cleaning products