Abstract

A STUDY TO EXPLORE THE SUITABILITY OF CERTAIN COST-EFFECTIVE SUBSTRATES FOR IMMOBILIZATION OF WHITE ROT FUNGI

*Rajesh Yadav and Madhuri Roy

ABSTRACT

Due to increasing demand and popularity of handmade paper, now-a-days, these industries have started the use of chemical additives to impart certain qualities to paper and to make it attractive. Handmade paper industries also utilize a huge amount of water in different steps of making paper. After utilization, this water is discharged to the nearby water bodies in its untreated form along with the dissolved chemicals or dyes. Paper and pulp industrial waste water are a major environmental concern. Phanerochaete chrysosporium, a white rot–wood decaying basidiomycete, produces a potent lignin degrading system that oxidizes lignin completely to CO2. The present study was thus, aimed for immobilization of white rot fungi on cost effective and easily available solid substrates viz. carpet pieces, net pieces, iron pieces, fiber glass pieces, glass pieces, clay pieces, plastic pieces, sponge 40D and foam pieces. The results obtained showed that the white rot fungal cultures,ie. P. chrysosporium could prove to be of high industrial significance in today’s context of environmental friendliness as it can be immobilized on easily available and cost effective solid substrates. And the better immobilization of white rot fungi was obtained on mobile condition. These immobilized cultures can be used further for the color reduction of the industrial effluent and biodegradation of organo-pollutants. Thus, it can help in reducing the problem of pollution in paper and textile industry.

Keywords: Phanerochaete chrysosporium, cost effective substrates, white rot fungi, handmade paper industry, effluents.