UPSC Prelims 2024 Q39: Science & Technology – Biotechnology

UPSC Prelims 2024, General Studies Paper I · Science & Technology

"Membrane Bioreactors" are often discussed in the context of:

Answer: (d) Wastewater treatment technologies

Explanation

Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) — advanced wastewater treatment

An MBR combines two steps in one unit:

Component	Role
Bioreactor	Microbes break down organic matter in sewage (activated sludge process)
Membrane filter	Micro- or ultra-filtration membranes separate clean water from sludge and bacteria

Advantages over conventional treatment:

Feature	MBR	Conventional activated sludge
Footprint	Compact — no large settling tanks	Needs big clarifiers
Water quality	Very high; fit for reuse	Lower
Pathogen removal	Excellent	Moderate
Cost	Higher energy and membrane cost	Lower

MBRs are used for municipal sewage, industrial effluent and water recycling, for example under Namami Gange projects.

Answer: (d) Wastewater treatment technologies.

(a) Incorrect. Assisted reproduction uses IVF and related techniques, not membrane bioreactors.
(b) Incorrect. Drug delivery nanotechnology uses liposomes and nanoparticles, not MBRs.
(c) Incorrect. Vaccines are grown in cell-culture bioreactors, but 'membrane bioreactor' is a wastewater term.
(d) CORRECT. An MBR joins biological treatment with membrane filtration to clean wastewater.

Membrane Bioreactor = microbes + membrane filtration in one unit; compact, high-quality wastewater treatment.

Membrane bioreactors are used to treat wastewater.

Choosing vaccine production because 'bioreactor' appears there too.
Thinking membranes alone clean the water; the microbes do the main breakdown.
Not linking MBRs to water reuse, their main advantage.

'Membrane' + 'Bioreactor' = filter + microbes. That pairing is wastewater treatment.