<b>Strategies for decolorization of textile industry effluents by white-rot-fungi with peach palm residue

Abstract

The aim of this interdisciplinary approach is to provide innovative solutions to environmental problems, in particular, improving the treatment of textile industrial effluents and finding a use for the residual biomass generated from palm tree (Bactris gasipaes) extraction. Three types of white-rot fungi were cultivated applying different strategies for the decolorization the textile effluents: i) solid-state fermentation (SSF), ii) submerged fermentation (SF), and iii) adsorption. In all cases, it was used the peach-palm residue. In the SSF strategy, the decolorization process and laccase production were enhanced by increasing the concentration of final effluent. Even though the highest decolorization percentage (80%) was attained after 10 days of fermentation with G. lucidum EF 31 applied in the treatment of a final effluent, no significant differences were found in relation to the other two fungi. The decolorization efficiency obtained in the SF was lower compared with SSF, however, the presence of final effluent in the SF process improved the laccase activity. It was noted that the addition of peach-palm residue in this system provides a habitat for the fungus as well as a suitable source material for laccase production with the consequent decolorization of the effluent.