Big Bio Co. of Kumamoto prefecture in Japan, a venture business, has been engaged in developing products that utilize bacteria (BB bacteria), such as Bacillus subtilis natto, to improve the environment. Bacillus subtilis natto is a bacterium that ferments soybeans to natto, a traditional Japanese food usually eaten for breakfast. Big Bio and Koyoh Co., a manufacturer of concrete blocks in Fukuoka prefecture, have co-developed a block named the "EcoBio-Block" that they say improves water quality. Beneficial bacteria, including the bacillus subtilis natto group, are encapsulated into cement blocks made of porous rocks to utilize the bacteria to degrade and eliminate ammonia and organic substances that pollute water. The beneficial bacteria effectively reproduce in both fresh and salt water at temperatures between 10 and 65 degrees Celcius. Laying EcoBio-Blocks in murky rivers or lakes results in cleaner water without causing any environmental load.
The safety of the EcoBio-Block has been certified by the Standard and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (SIRIM), a Malaysian national research and testing center. The block has been adopted in projects such as a water quality improvement project at the Melaka River on Langkawi Island in Malaysia and a national project in India. Thus, a string of orders for the blocks is being received from around the world.
The company has also developed a wide range of EcoBio-Block products such as "EcoBio-Ring," a small water-purifying block for home aquariums and agents to remove bad odors or slime by utilizing the beneficial bacteria.
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