Abstract

DEGRADATION OF TRIPHENYLMETHANE DYE: MALACHITE GREEN BY ASPERGILLUS FLAVUS

J. Subramanian, T. Ramesh* and M. Kalaiselvam

ABSTRACT

Removal of dyes from textile waste waters is of global concern owing to the fact that they affects or alters the physical as well as chemical properties of the water that makes them inconsumable and highly toxic/carcinogenic. The physical and chemical treatment methods fail because of the increased stability and resistance of dyes towards degradation in addition to their increased cost, less efficiency etc. The biological degradation accomplished by the use of fungal biomass seems to be a promising and harmless one. The present study was carried out to study the degradation of triphenylmethane dyemalachite green by litter decomposing fungi. Totally 7 different fungi were isolated and identified from mangrove regions by adopting standard methodology. All the isolates were screened for their ability to degrade the triphenylmethane dye malachite green at a concentration of 0.1g/100ml of media. Among which Aspergillus flavus exhibited the maximum (83%) decolorisation of the dye at the 9th day of incubation. In order to analyze the relation between different physiochemical parameters various pH, carbon and nitrogen sources were tested. The results indicated that A. flavus was able to exhibit a maximum decolorisation of 95% with glucose and yeast extract as carbon and nitrogen sources respectively at a pH of 5±0.2 within 7 days. Therefore it obviously confirms that the mangrove derived fungi can acts as a bio-degrading agent in an eco friendly manner in the meanwhile as an alternate to physical and chemical treatments that are cost effective.

Keywords: Mangrove, Dye decolorisation, Aspergillus flavus.