DECOLORIZATION OF AZO DYES AND PAPER MILL EFFLUENT BY WHITE-ROT FUNGI AND THEIR ENZYME PRODUCTION

Abstract

The azo dyes and industrial effluent were considered as the recalcitrant substances which caused environmental problems. White-rot basid iomycetes Pleurotus elyngii, Phenarochaete crvsosporium, Pleurotus osirialus. and Treinates versicolor were found to decolorize different azo dyes and paper mill effluent in both suspended and immobilized forms in alginate beads at different extents. Manganese peroxidase (MnP) and laccase activities were also determined in these isolates. The azo dyes like, acid orange-74, amaranth, direct rcd-8 I. reactive black-5 were decolorized within 96 hours by these fungal species due to the oxidative capacities of enzymes present in these fungal isolates. It was found that each isolates have their different growth temperature optima (between 20-30°C). The most significant rates of MnP-laccase enzyme production and decolorization were found in the Phenaroc/iaeie cysosporizim and Tremates versicolor