Research Article
Open Access
Clean-Up of Industrial Dye Wastewater via Fungal Biomass Adsorption and Reuse of the Exhausted Biomass as a Renewable Fuel Option
Curbelo Baltazar*, Saralegui Willson, Kilic Arica, Fernandez Andrade
Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, and Advanced Research Lab, National University of Food Technologies, 68 Volodymyrska Street, Kyiv, 01601, Ukraine
Baltazar C, Willson S, Arica K, Andrade F. Clean-Up of Industrial Dye Wastewater via Fungal Biomass Adsorption and Reuse of the Exhausted Biomass as a Renewable Fuel Option, Accounts of Biotechnology Research. 2023, Vol. 11 No. 1: 101
Abstract
This study explores the removal of toxic heavy metal ions—specifically copper,
cobalt, zinc, cadmium, chromium, mercury, and arsenic—from dye-industry
wastewater using the biosorption ability of Aspergillus niger. The fungus, originally
isolated from effluents generated by dye and dye-manufacturing facilities, was
dried and compressed into briquetted biomass and then evaluated as a low-cost
sorbent. Key operational factors, including contact time, initial metal concentration,
pH, and biomass dosage, were systematically optimized. Heavy-metal removal was
quantified through standard analytical techniques.
Using the dried A. niger biomass, copper removal reached a maximum of 91%
at an initial concentration of 5 mg/L, with similar trends observed for the other
metals tested. Surface morphology and elemental uptake were examined through
SEM and EDAX, both for individual metals and for mixed-metal aqueous solutions.
Copper was efficiently desorbed using 0.1 M HCl, achieving an 89% recovery rate.
The regenerated and sterilized fungal biomass maintained strong performance,
removing up to 90.72% of copper upon reuse. The exhausted biomass briquettes
show potential as a solid fuel for small-scale furnaces. Results for the remaining
metals, both individually and in mixed solutions, demonstrated comparable
removal efficiencies and will be detailed further in Part II of this study.
cobalt, zinc, cadmium, chromium, mercury, and arsenic—from dye-industry
wastewater using the biosorption ability of Aspergillus niger. The fungus, originally
isolated from effluents generated by dye and dye-manufacturing facilities, was
dried and compressed into briquetted biomass and then evaluated as a low-cost
sorbent. Key operational factors, including contact time, initial metal concentration,
pH, and biomass dosage, were systematically optimized. Heavy-metal removal was
quantified through standard analytical techniques.
Using the dried A. niger biomass, copper removal reached a maximum of 91%
at an initial concentration of 5 mg/L, with similar trends observed for the other
metals tested. Surface morphology and elemental uptake were examined through
SEM and EDAX, both for individual metals and for mixed-metal aqueous solutions.
Copper was efficiently desorbed using 0.1 M HCl, achieving an 89% recovery rate.
The regenerated and sterilized fungal biomass maintained strong performance,
removing up to 90.72% of copper upon reuse. The exhausted biomass briquettes
show potential as a solid fuel for small-scale furnaces. Results for the remaining
metals, both individually and in mixed solutions, demonstrated comparable
removal efficiencies and will be detailed further in Part II of this study.
Keywords
Biosorption; Aspergillus niger; Heavy metal removal; Dye-industry effluents; Copper ion adsorption; Fungal biomass; Wastewater detoxification; Metal desorption; Biomass briquettes; Industrial wastewater treatment; SEM characterization; EDAX analysis; Alternative fuel material; Mixed-metal aqueous solutions; Biomass regeneration.