title: Bioremediation of textile azo dyes by an aerobic bacterial consortium using a rotating biological contactor.
abstract: The degradation of an azo dye mixture by an aerobic bacterial consortium was studied in a rotating biological reactor. Laterite pebbles of particle size 850 microm to 1.44 mm were fixed on gramophone records using an epoxy resin on which the developed consortium was immobilized. Rate of degradation, BOD, biomass determination, enzymes involved, and fish bioassay were studied. The RBC has a high efficiency for dye degradation even at high dye concentrations (100 microg/mL) and high flow rate (36 L/h) at alkaline pH and salinity conditions normally encountered in the textile effluents. Bioassays (LD-50) using Thilapia fish in treated effluent showed that the percentage mortality was zero over a period of 96 h, whereas the mortality was 100% in untreated dye water within 26 h. Fish bioassay confirms that the effluent from RBC can be discharged safely to the environment.
authors.affiliation: Biochemical Processing Section, Process Engineering Division, Regional Research Laboratory (CSIR), Thiruvananthapuram 695 019, India. emilatea@hotmail.com
authors.forename: T Emilia
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Abraham
authors.forename: Resmi C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Senan
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Shaffiqu
authors.forename: Jegan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Poulose
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D001391:Azo Compounds / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D001420:Bacteria, Aerobic / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000145:classification / Q000382:microbiology*; D018920:Coculture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D003116:Color; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000517:prevention & control; D012399:Rotation; D013784:Textiles / Q000382:microbiology*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D001391:Azo Compounds; D004396:Coloring Agents; D007220:Industrial Waste; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical