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Possible biodegradation of air pollution from antibiotic biosynthesis in the form of water condensates was studied in a 1000 ml laboratory bioreactor with using active sludge. The biodegradation of such a pollution was shown possible. The process kinetics was described by the Michaelis-Menten equation. The values of the equation constants were calculated.

Data on testing a pilot plant for electroflotative packing of mycelial wastes are presented. Both the mycelial wastes and their mixtures were used. Concentration of dry substances raged from 3.5 to 131 g/l. The process was performed with varying flow density and consumption rate of the liquid supplied to the plant. Insoluble magnetite and ruthenium oxide anodes were used. The moister content in the packed phase was 81-97.5 per cent. The study provided specification of the process technological parameters and investigation of the flotator hydroulic characteristics.

Efficiency of decreasing sewage contamination was estimated under laboratory conditions by the Coli index in additional treatment of antibiotic production sewage in bioponds with higher aquatic plants. It was shown that the sewage decontamination in summer was intensive due to vital activity of complex biocenosis of the higher aquatic plants and algae and reached the required levels. This allowed to use much lower quantities of the reagents in chlorination of water for circulating water supply.

The main kinetic relationships of the process of biological oxidation of antibiotic production sewage were studied in laboratory models of mixer aerotanks. A relationship between the specific rates of BOD (biological oxygen demand) decreasing and BOD concentration in aerotanks was developed on the basis of the results relating to treatment of 8 types of the sewage within the ranges of the pure water BOD equal to 18-220 mg/l and the loads of 0.18-3.85 g BOD/g X day. To describe this relationship the following models were tested for their adequacy: Michaelis-Menten and Mozer models, a general model and a model of the first order reaction equation. The Mozer model with the relative root-mean-square deviation of 18.3 per cent proved to be the best in description of wide ranges of pure water BOD changing. The first order model with deviation of 12 per cent was the best in describing the process with low loads.

At present the main part of the mycelial waste of antibiotic production is collected in sludge lagoones, discarded to the sewage treatment system or burnt. The mycelial waste is one of the causes of the environmental pollution. It contains a significant quantity of valuable substances, such as lipids, carbohydrates, proteins and amino acids. The inorganic portion of the waste includes the compounds of calcium, magnesium, sodium, iron, silicium and phosphorus. The levels of the above substances in the mycelial waste allow using it as organic mineral additives in making expanded clay aggregate gravel with the use of low quality clay and loam. It may be also used as the burn-out of the raw material charge in making burnt bricks and other burnt building materials. By its calorific value the mycelial waste is equal to brown coal or peat. It was shown that the structural and mechanical properties of the mixtures of the mycelium and clay depended on the moisture content of the composition and the proportion of its components. The mycelial waste provided a decrease in the optimal temperature of burning by 40-50 degrees C. The production tests at the expanded clay aggregate plants showed that the bulk weight of expanded clay aggregate might be lowered by 50-100 kg/m3 and the usual additives with the use of petroleum products might be completely excluded from the technological process. The use of the mycelial waste for manufacture of burnt building materials provides saving of the fuel energy sources and improvement of the quality of the finished product. It is also important from the ecological viewpoint.

Utilization of antibiotic manufacture waste containing a certain amount of carbohydrates in concrete preparation requires their control. It was shown that the content of not more than 0.5 per cent of carbohydrates in the waste had no unfavourable effect on the concrete hardening.

Studies were conducted on estimation of the toxicity levels in various oxygen-containing chlorine compounds formed during electrochemical treatment of sewage by using a culture isolated from activated sludge purifying antibiotic production waste. It was shown that the products formed during electrocatalytic treatment of solutions (concentration of NaCl 1.5-5 g/l, pH 2.0-12.0, volumetric current density up to 10 A/l) were not toxic and stimulated the growth of P. fluorescens.

An approach to intensification of biological treatment of industrial sewage containing liquid wastes of endocrine drug production is described. The most contaminated effluent of rectification columns is isolated from the general plant discharge and subjected to local treatment. The advisability and level of the local treatment in electrochemical sewage treatment were studied under laboratory conditions. At the current density of 220 A/m2, the process time of 10 min at pH 6.0 and the ratio of the local effluent to the general plant discharge of 1:30 the level of the sewage treatment was the following: 45-50 per cent by the chemical demand of oxygen and 50-60 per cent by the biological demand of oxygen in 5 days. The residual content of active chlorine did not exceed 14 mg/l. It was shown experimentally that during the sewage treatment there formed no compounds toxic for the activated sludge microorganisms.

The results of the study on intensive treatment of sewage are presented and the general approach to it is proposed. Formation of oxygen active forms in biological systems, their generation during physico-chemical treatment under definite conditions and interaction with organic substances provide higher purity levels in treatment of sewage.

The parameters of additional treatment of biologically pure antibiotic production sewage in winter were studied on a pilot model of a 3.72 m3 biopond with higher aquatic plants (Phragmites communis). Sufficiently high efficiency of the process of possible provision of the required sewage quality were shown. A mathematical model of the process based on the first order reaction equation was developed. Its application was estimated and the values of the equation constants were measured.

Possible utilization of treated streptomycin fermentation broth modified with waste hydrochloric acid solution followed by lime neutralization was studied. Such a complex additive to concrete increased its strength by 36-41 per cent. With saving cement by 7 per cent the concrete strength increased by 22-29 per cent as compared to the control samples. Therefore, utilization of antibiotic industry waste in production of building material allowed not only to improve its quality but also to lower the environmental pollution.

The strain of Pseudomonas fluorescens was isolated from active ooze and was capable of growth on a medium containing 100 mg/litre of formaldehyde. As a result of stepwise selection, a variant of Ps. fluorescens 27 oxidizing 250 mg/litre of formaldehyde was obtained. It differed from the parent strain in cultural, morphological, and biochemical properties.

Data on laboratory studies with real liquid sewage from antibiotic manufacture are presented. Two schemes are discussed: treatment of the sewage in an electrolysis plant followed by its afterpurification either in a column with pyrolusite or during a joint process of electrochemical purification with catalyst location on the plant bottom under the electrodes. The afterpurification of electrochemically treated liquid sewage on waste pyrolusite can provide and additional effect i.e. lower consumption of oxygen and decoloration at average by 15 and 25 per cent respectively.