Innovation continues to be a driving force in supporting the creation of a zero-waste and zero-emission environment. The latest breakthrough comes from the thinking of students in the Industrial Chemical Engineering Technology (TRKI) study program at Undip Vocational School. Team BIONIDE is a post-millennial innovator led by I Dhafa Febrian, along with his colleagues Rhasna Wiritanaya Witrisnanti, Earlene Dascha Faustina, Sheva Risga Tristarini, and Zulfan Amirul Milla. I Dhafa Febrian, commonly known as Dhafa, stated that the use of water for household and industrial needs is a very crucial issue across various sectors. Even recently, many people living in industrial areas have begun to complain about the difficulty of accessing clean water. Therefore, the BIONIDE Team is motivated to contribute thru ideas and innovation.
The BIONIDE team, mentored by lecturer and TRKI Study Program Head Mohamad Endy Yulianto, S.T., M.T., has come up with an innovative idea to reduce ammonia levels, which can be harmful to the aquatic environment, Dhafa revealed. Meanwhile, BIONIDE team member Rhasna Wiritanaya Witrisnanti, often called Rhasna, explained that her team plays a role in reducing ammonia in industrial waste before it is discharged into the free environment bordering residential areas. As for the innovation concept of Team BIONIDE, it involves utilizing the chemical reactions of nitrification and denitrification thru the use of bacteria that can digitally decompose ammonia. Earlene, the familiar name of Earlene Dascha Faustina, also added that thru this project, byproducts are not simply discarded because the BIONIDE team is committed to continuously protecting the environment by utilizing byproducts to create innovative products with sales value and a positive impact on the environment. This new breakthrough certainly provides fresh air to the industrial sector in Indonesia, enabling it to contribute to creating environmental harmony to support the achievement of zero waste and zero emissions. Team BIONIDE was inspired by the many rivers polluted with waste due to industrial activity. Beside this, the project was created for the Innovation Competition organized by one of the fertilizer industries under the state-owned enterprise, Pupuk Kujang Cikampek, said Sheva.
Thanks to this innovation, Team BIONIDE made it to the top 10 and will compete for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place positions, which will be held online on August 22, 2024. Of course, there are high hopes that the fruits of Team BIONIDE’s thinking and innovation can be applied on a massive scale in large and small industries in Indonesia in the future, bringing benefits, concluded Zulfan.