Magnetic Agricultural Waste as an Adsorbent for Improved Bioremediation and Clarification of Textile Effluents

Abstract

Textile dyeing industry is considered as one of the largest generators of waste water in India. Dyes released by the textile industries cause a major threat to environmental safety. Apart from physical and chemical method, dye decolourisation through biological means can apply to the dye with wide range. The present study focused on the screening of microbial isolates from the effluent with respect to the synthetic dye decolourisation. Three bacterial and two laccase producing fungal species were isolated, that are efficient in decolourising the synthetic dyes. These isolates were identified as Bacillus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Acinetobacter sp., Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus fumigatus. Effluent was treated using the individual microbes, microbial consortium and immobilized form of microbial consortium. Both the treatment showed better efficiency when compared to individual microbes, but the sludge settlement was again a threat. Effluent treated by the immobilized microbial consortium with peanut husk and iron oxide nanoparticles showed the highest decolourisation rate as well as sludge was removed during the treatment. By using the magnetically induced biological waste the removal of dyes and separation of sludge contents can be achieved with low cost. This kind of absorbent could be potentially used for the treatment of textile dye effluent.