INVESTIGA TLON OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MOTHER ENZYME ON MODEL ORGANIC WASTE MATERIAL BY ENZYME DEGRADATION

Abstract

Continuous disposal of solid waste arid their collection creates a severe environmental andhealth hazard. In Sri Lanka the major percentage of municipal solid waste is organic waste.Hence, one-way of over coming this problem is to increase the rate degradation of organicmaterial in which enzyme and microorganisms playa big role. Mother Enzyme (ME) issaid to be one such mixture of enzymes and microorganisms.

Objectives of this research was to identify the constituents of the ME, to determine theeffectiveness of the ME on degradation of different types of organic wastes, and todetermine the effective levels of ME for different types of organic wastes.

Macconkey agar, Nutrient agar and Sabouraud Dextrose Agar were used to find the totalnumber and the types of microorganisms present in the ME. Effect of Mother enzyme ondifferent of organic waste were done by using Farm (cattle and poultry) waste, kitchenwastes and fruit industry wastes in the presence and in the absence of ME with replication.Weight reduction with time was noted down. To estimate the effect of ME on modelorganic waste, wheat flour, egg yolk and coconut oil were used. Alanine, Glucose and Acidvalue estimation were done to estimate the rate of degradation of the macromolecules in thepresence of and in the absence of ME. In order to find out the effective levels of ME farm(cattle and poultry), kitchen wastes and fruit industry wastes were used with replication.2g11kg and O.5g1lkg of mother enzyme was introduced and weight reduction was noteddown.

Form the Microbiological analysis, Staphylococcus aureus, Esscherichia colli, and Mucor,were found to be present in ME and the total number of organisms present was 13xIO-14.

From the study it was revealed that the break down of model organic matter - fats andproteins occur quite fast in the presence of mother enzyme. But mother enzyme does notsignificantly increase breaking down of carbohydrates.

Increased or decreased levels of ME have no significant effect on mixed organic wastes.Due to our consumption pattern most of organic wastes generated in Sri Lanka are ofcarbohydrate origin. This may be the reason 'why there is no significant effect due to ME onmixtures of organic wastes found in Sri Lanka