White‐rot fungi combined with lignite granules and lignitic xylite to decolorize textile industry wastewater

The feasibility of using immobilized fungi to decolorize textile industry wastewater containing dyes was examined in experiments with: two species of white‐rot fungi (a Marasmius species from Indonesia, which produces copious biomass, and Trametes hirsuta, which produces high levels of laccase); two types of lignite products as adsorbents and solid substrates (lignitic xylite and lignite granules); and four simulated wastewaters, each containing a different kinds of reactive textile azo dye. The growth, extracellular enzyme production, dye degradation and dye absorption parameters afforded by each permutation of fungus, substrate and dye were then measured. Both fungal species grew poorly on xylite, but much better on lignite granules. Marasmius sp. produced up to 67 U/L laccase on lignite granules, but just 10 U/L on xylite, and no other detectable extracellular enzymes. T. hirsuta produced 1343 U/L laccase and up to 12 U/L unspecific peroxidase when immobilized on lignite granules, and 898 U/L laccase with 14 U/L unspecific peroxidase when immobilized on xylite. The amount of color lost from the dye solutions depended on both the type of dye and the enzyme levels in the fermenter.