Abstract
Synthetic dyes are extensively used in several industries including textile, paper, printing, cosmetic and pharmaceutical. Dyes are released in effluent from a wide variety of industries such as textile, tannery, packed food, pulp and paper, paint and electroplating thus threatening various forms of life. Non-white rot fungi Aspergillus flavus A6, Aspergillus fumigatus A23, Aspergillus terreus A2 and white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium were used to decolourize individual dyes, simulated textile effluent (STE) and real textile wastewater (RTW). Fungi could effectively decolourize STE and RTW under optimized conditions of medium (minimal salt medium and potato dextrose agar medium), temperature (40°C for A. flavus A6 and 30°C for P. chrysosporium), pH (4.0 for A. flavus A6 and 5.0 for P. chrysosporium) and agitation (100 rpm for A. flavus A6 and P. chrysosporium). The decolourization of STE by A. flavus A6 and P. chrysosporium was 73 and 62% respectively while the decolourization of RTW by A. flavus A6 and P. chrysosporium was 76 and 68% respectively after 7 d incubation. The mechanism of dye removal by the fungus appeared to be mainly by adsorption and absorption and the biotransformation occurred only after absorption of the dye. Analysis of samples before and after treatment with fungus using TLC indicated the biotransformation of dye.
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