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doi: 10.18178/ijesd.2025.16.1.1505
Development and Application of Hydrolytic Bacterial Microcapsules as Bioremediation Agent of Hospital Wastewater — A Case Report in Semarang
2Roemani Muhammadiyah Hospital, Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia
3Diploma of Medical Laboratory Technology Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences, Universitas Muhammadiyah Semarang, Semarang, Central Java Indonesia
4Balai Laboratorium Kesehatan Kota Semarang (Semarang City Health Laboratory Hall) Central Java, Indonesia
5Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang, Indonesia
Email: norma@unimus.ac.id (S.N.E.); haryantoroemani@gmail.com (H.H.); ernanto.aditya@gmail.com (A.R.E.); toeti.rahajoe@unimus.ac.id (T.R.); ayurs@unimus.ac.id (A.R.S.); agus_sabdono@yahoo.com (A.S.)
*Corresponding author
Abstract—We developed and applied a prototype of a bioremediation agent, alginate-based microcapsules containing living indigenous, hydrolytic bacteria, to treat hospital wastewater in Central Java. The use of microcapsules containing living indigenous, hydrolytic bacteria Bacillus spp. to improve quality parameters of hospital wastewater, as a case in Semarang City, is yet to be reported. The bacteria worked synergically as a consortium consisting of Bacillus velezensis R1.3, B. amyloliquefaciens R1.6, B. amyloliquefaciens R1.14, B. velezensis R1.16, B. licheniformis R2.5, B. amyloliquefaciens R2.9. Microencapsulation of these bacteria was made using Arabic gum, alginate, carrageenan, and maltodextrin at varied ratios of the microcarrier to bacterial biomass by freeze-drying. The best-formed microcapsules resulted in an alginate-based type at a final ratio of 1:1, which, after a year of storage at room temperature, could show cell viability as signs of successful microencapsulation of living bacteria. By aeration, the bacterial microcapsules improved values of NH3 (77%), BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand, 57%), COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand, 44%), and PO4 (55%). In conclusion, applying our prototype to untreated hospital wastewater improved pollution parameters and supported bacterial long-term storage.
Keywords—biomedical waste, bioremediation agent, hydrolytic bacteria, microencapsulation, microcarrier
Cite: Stalis N. Ethica, Haryanto Haryanto, Aditya R. Ernanto, Toeti Rahajoe, Ayu Rahmawati Sulistyaningtyas, and Agus Sabdono, "Development and Application of Hydrolytic Bacterial Microcapsules as Bioremediation Agent of Hospital Wastewater — A Case Report in Semarang," International Journal of Environmental Science and Development vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 7-15, 2025.
Copyright © 2025 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).
