Effective microorganism™ (EM) technology in water quality improvement / Wischelle D. Desalisa, Maria Tacianne L. Funes, Yoradyl L. Longabela

Experimental Research Methodology

Thesis BSF University of Rizal System. Cardona 2016

Water pollution is one of the major problems in our country. It weakens or destroys natural ecosystems that support human health, food production and biodiversity. Solving water quality issues requires strategies to prevent, treat and remediate water pollution. Effective Microorganisms (EM) technology is one of the promising ways for improving water quality because of its eco-friendly nature and requires less inputs, cost and capital. It is a culture of coexisting beneficial microorganism predominantly consisting of lactic acid bacteria, photosynthetic bacteria, yeast, fermenting fungi and actinomycetes that are claimed to have improved water quality. The objective of the experiment was to investigate on the effects of EM in improving quality of lake water and domestic waste water. It was conducted in SEAFDEC - Binangonan freshwater station because of the availability of materials. The data of ammonia, dissolved oxygen and pH of the lake water and waste were collected every 5 days until day 25. The EM treatment was applied periodically every 10 days. The treatment of EM tend to decrease ammonia level of both water samples, increased dissolved oxygen in waste water but not on lake water, it did not affect the pH of lake and water waste. Results clearly demonstrated that EM has potential in improving the water quality of lake water and waste water. Valuable lines for further research and acceptance of EM technology for the future are thus suggested as it is believed to be the key to sustained environmental improving and offers a real opportunity for eco-innovation.

Desalisa, W. D., Funes, M. L. and Longabela, Y. L. (2016). Effective microorganism™ (EM) technology in water quality improvement. Cardona: University of Rizal System.