In this connection, it is interesting to note that the first patent ever awarded for a living organism was given to Dr. Ananda Chakrabarty (USA) for developing a microbe designed to biodegrade spilled oil.

There has been a dabate on whether or not to release genetically engineered microbes for treatment of toxic sites. It is argued that biotechnology products (genetically engineered microbes) parallel toxic chemicals in many respects and unlike chemicals, they have the capacity to reproduce and spread beyond the initial release sites. They may even transfer novel genes into other naturally occurring organisms, thus causing the risk of developing what are described superbugs.

In view of the above, ‘Occidental Chemical Corporation’ company of USA is conducting their work on effluents from toxic waste sites (Love Canal and other polluted sites in USA), in closed reactors, one such experiment was conducted at Hyde Park landfill site at the northwest corner of Niagara, New York.

Therefore, the Hyde Park waste water was subjected to biotreatment in sequencing batch reactors (SBRs), where biodegradation rate of some more persistent chemicals was accelerated by adding bacterial strains isolated from the landfill site. Further genetic manipulation of these organisms produced more than 100 recombinant bacteria, which have been tested for their usefulness in reactors. It was demonstrated that significant cost savings will be possible, if SBR treatment is used before the carbon absorption stage.