Enzymatic Decolourization of Textile Dyeing ...

Effluent from textile industries often contains toxic dyes and other chemicals, which make it become difficult to reuse such wastewaters. The present study was aimed at decolourizing wastewater collected from a textile dyeing industry using the white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium in batch shake flasks. The wastewater was initially characterized for the parameters chemical oxygen demand (COD), color index, total suspended solids, pH, heavy metals and alkalinity. Wastewater decolourization using P. chrysosporium was then investigated under different conditions such as, dilution with water and with the fungal growth media at 1:1 and 1:3 proportions. During the wastewater decolourization, high enzyme activities of lignin peroxidase and manganese peroxidase produced by the fungus were observed at 84 and 96 h, respectively, particularly in the experimental flasks containing the wastewater and the fungal growth media. Laccase activity by the fungus was, however, absent in the experiments. This study clearly demonstrated the role of lignolytic enzymes in decolourization of the wastewater.