Use of Phanerochaete Chrysosporium in a Semibatch Reactor for Removal of Indigo Carmine from Synthetic Textile Wastewater

Abstract The textile industry demonstrates a polluting potential from the planting of cotton to the release of wastewater. The presence of dyes in water bodies decreases the passage of sun rays and directly affects the photosynthetic organisms and the ecosystem. Fungi have potential in the treatment of wastewater containing dyes with complex organic structures due to enzymes that they produce. This study evaluated the use of Phanerochaete chrisosporium in the treatment of synthetic effluent from textile industry containing indigo carmine (20 mg/L). The fungus was immobilized in a semibatch reactor. Glucose was the cosubstrate employed in the experiment and it was used in the system at 1g/L at the beginning of the process and 0.5 g /L after 24 hours of reaction. Average dye removal was 84±10% and chemical oxygen demand removal was 79±14%. For nitrogen compounds, the removal efficiencies were 87±11%, 81±11% and 91±9% for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, respectively. The pH of the medium remained in the acidic range (2.57 to 5.00) throughout the process, with the lowest values recorded in the effluent of each cycle, justified by the release of organic acids from fungi metabolism. There was contamination of the medium by bacteria (710,000 CFU/mL), but the colonies count showed a predominance of fungi (1,365,000 CFU/mL). With the use of the semibatch system after reading of glucose it was observed that the efficiency of dye removal evolved from 72±17% to 84±10%, producing a final effluent with 3.35±1.99 mg/L of indigo, which proves that treatment configuration analyzed is satisfactory for dye removal.

Influence of Mycoremediation and Selected Surfactants on Growth Performance of Fluted Pumpkin In Crude Oil Impacted Soil and the Nephrotoxic Effects of Leaves Aqueous Extract on Wistar Rats

This study investigated the mycoremediation effects of Pleurotus ostreatus and selected surfactants (Triton x-100 and meshed Costus aferstem)on the growth performance of fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis) in crude oil impacted soil and their effects on the electrolytes, urea and creatinine levels of Wistar rats fed with aqueous leaf extract of fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis) cultivated on the amended soil. Crude oil highly impacted soil excavated from an oil spill site at Obeche community in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria was used. Remediation was induced using white rot fungus (Pleurotus ostreatus), phyto-emulsified surfactant (Costus aferstem) and chemical surfactant (Triton x-100). Seven experimental cells (20cm diameter x 20cm high polypropylene bags) labelled A-G, each containing 2kg of polluted soil were used. The application of amendments to the crude oil impacted soil affected the growth of fluted pumpkin. Cell D (PSS + Triton x-100) was observed to have the highest number of leaves (15.00 ± 0.70), highest vine length (45.00 ± 0.00), highest fresh weight of leaves (16.50 ± 0.70) when compared with other cells. The control cell, cell A (CISS) and cell F (CISS + Pleurotus ostreatus+ Triton x-100) also were observed to have a positive effect on the growth performance of fluted pumpkin. When the aqueous leaf extract of fluted pumpkin was administered to the Wistar rats, potassium level was observed to be decreased in groups C to G with cell D having the lowest value (3.99 ± 0.00) when compared with group A (29.39±34.44). The results also indicated that groups C, D, F, and G were decreased when compared with group A for sodium, only group E was decreased when compared with group A for Chlorine, all the groups for Calcium where significantly (p?0.05) decreased when compared with group A. There was a significant (p?0.05) difference when group A is compared with group G for Bicarbonate. Histopathological evaluation of the kidney of Wistar rats revealed the presence of congested renal vessels and haemorhage.

Heavy metal tolerance traits of filamentous fungi isolated from gold and gemstone mining sites

ABSTRACT Increased environmental pollution has necessitated the need for eco-friendly clean-up strategies. Filamentous fungal species from gold and gemstone mine site soils were isolated, identified and assessed for their tolerance to varied heavy metal concentrations of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), arsenic (As) and iron (Fe). The identities of the fungal strains were determined based on the internal transcribed spacer 1 and 2 (ITS 1 and ITS 2) regions. Mycelia growth of the fungal strains were subjected to a range of (0-100 Cd), (0-1000 Cu), (0-400 Pb), (0-500 As) and (0-800 Fe) concentrations (mgkg-1) incorporated into malt extract agar (MEA) in triplicates. Fungal radial growths were recorded every three days over a 13-days' incubation period. Fungal strains were identified as Fomitopsis meliae, Trichoderma ghanense and Rhizopus microsporus. All test fungal exhibited tolerance to Cu, Pb, and Fe at all test concentrations (400-1000 mgkg-1), not differing significantly (p > 0.05) from the controls and with tolerance index >1. T. ghanense and R. microsporus demonstrated exceptional capacity for Cd and As concentrations, while showing no significant (p > 0.05) difference compared to the controls and with a tolerance index >1 at 25 mgkg-1 Cd and 125 mgkg-1 As. Remarkably, these fungal strains showed tolerance to metal concentrations exceeding globally permissible limits for contaminated soils. It is envisaged that this metal tolerance trait exhibited by these fungal strains may indicate their potentials as effective agents for bioremediative clean-up of heavy metal polluted environments.

Bioremediation: A Sustainable Tool for Environmental Management – A Review.

Bioremediation is considered as one of the safer, cleaner, cost effective and environmental friendly technology for decontaminating sites which are contaminated with wide range of pollutants. Various industrial and anthropogenic activities resulted in increased contaminated sites due to unawareness regarding production, use and disposal of hazardous substances. The process of bioremediation uses various agents such as bacteria, yeast, fungi, algae and higher plants as major tools in treating oil spills and heavy metals present in the environment. A continuous search for the new biological forms is required to regulate increasing pollution and environmental problems faced by man residing in an area. As microorganism shows wide range of mechanisms, there are still few mechanisms which are not known, therefore bioremediation is still considered as a developing technology. Thus, there is an urgent need to for us to review and modify the available options for environmental clean up. The objective of this paper is to conduct a comprehensive review on various sources of bioremediation agents and their limitations in treating pollutants present in the environment.

Degradation and detoxification of three textile Azo dyes by mixed fungal cultures from semi-arid region of Brazilian Northeast

The aim of this work was to study the degradation and detoxification of three textile azo dyes (Reactive Red 198, Reactive Red 141 and Reactive Blue 214) by mixed fungal cultures from semi-arid region of Brazilian Northeast. Sediment samples of twenty water reservoirs in the surroundings of Serra da Capivara National Park, area of environmental preservation in the caatinga in the State of Piauí, with semi-arid climate, were evaluated in order to select the consortia of fungi capable to degrade and detoxify these dyes. The mixed fungal culture from Caldeirão Escuridão (CE) reservoir was the most efficient in the degradation and detoxification of the dyes tested.