BioSec®
BioSec® improves sludge dryness and makes dewatering more efficient.
Target industries: Municipal wastewater
Novozymes BioSec® is a liquid solution containing two different, proprietary enzymes – BioSec®P and BioSec®C. Novozymes has specifically developed these enzymes to condition anaerobically digested sludge and improve dewaterability.
BioSec® is used to increase sludge cake dryness and decrease flocculant consumption during mechanical dewatering of digested sludge.
Improves dewatering performance
Enzymes actively degrade the colloid materials in the sludge, making dewatering more efficient.
Highly effective
Improves flocculation, even with lower polymer dosage. Significantly increases sludge cake dryness after dewatering.
Reduces costs
Lowers costs for polymers, energy and disposal.
Easy to use
A plug-and-play solution with no CAPEX requirements. Simply connect a jar of BioSec® to the dosing pump.
Sustainable
Reduces polymer use, energy use and CO2 emissions throughout the value chain. Uses enzymes, nature’s own tools.
No impact on reject water
In some cases, reject water quality even improves.
Savings ahead!
Savings ahead!
Every plant is unique when it comes to sludge management. That's why we've developed a BioSec value calculator.
Use it to calculate how much you can save on disposal cost and polymer use.
Frequently asked questions
What is a microorganism? What is a microbe?
Microorganisms – also called microbes – are microscopic, living organisms that can reproduce if the proper environmental conditions are met. Microorganisms are the most abundant organisms on Earth. In fact, scientists estimate there are more than 5 nonillion (5 x1030) microorganisms on the planet. Microorganisms are the heart of any biological wastewater system.
What is the difference between microbes and enzymes?
The microbes in Novozymes biological solutions get the job done by producing enzymes. That’s why they’re often called “enzyme factories.” Enzymes are very specific catalysts in biochemical reactions that break down organics and grease. An enzyme’s activity depends on the molecular shape of the enzyme fitting to the shape of the compounds in the desired biochemical reaction.
Enzymes are not alive, and they can’t reproduce themselves. In addition to producing enzymes, microbes ensure efficiency. As long as the microbes are alive, they can detect the organics present and produce exactly the enzymes needed to break down specific organics.
How do the enzymes in BioSec® work?
The enzymes in BioSec® target and disrupt the colloids present in the digested sludge. The colloids are hydrophilic, and they saturate flocculants. By disrupting the colloids, enzymes make the floc more tightly aggregated. There is better water release from the sludge structure and better incorporation of the flocculant and particles. This results in an optimized mechanical dewatering process.
Can BioSec® increase the dewatering capability of challenging sludge to dewater?
We can test the compatibility of a particular sludge to enzymatic conditioning. In most cases, you can expect benefits from disaggregating the sludge’s colloidal structures.
Is the sludge cake different after dosing BioSec®?
The stability of the cake is not altered after adding BioSec®. The only difference is less water content.
What is the effect of overdosing BioSec®?
Overdosing would entail the loss of the desired performance by BioSec®. There would be no other effects on later steps in the process line.
Does your solution require a sludge holding tank? What if this is not present?
A minimum of 6 hours of enzymatic contact time is required. BioSec® can be applied via an existing post digester, buffer sludge tank or similar. These are found in many facilities for extra flexibility on sludge dewatering and handling.
Is an optimization or CAPEX required onsite to use your solution effectively?
No further optimization or process adjustments are needed to implement BioSec®.
Could a side stream trial be performed to see if BioSec® has an impact?
Yes, assuming process requirements are met. However, BioSec®’s particularly small footprint and plug-and-play nature also make full-scale trial implementation convenient.