Mycoremedial Approach for Biodegradation of Textile Dyes

Mycoremediation, a form of bioremediation facilitated by fungi, has been employed for the biodegradation of azo dyes, including congo red, acid red, and basic blue. In this study, four fungal isolates, namely Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus piperis, Penicillium oxalicum, and Penicillium chrysogenum, obtained from dye effluent were used. Four biodegradation methods were selected, including solid media dye accumulation, liquid media methods under stationary and shaking conditions at 28°C, and biosorption using dead biomass. For the first time, we report the involvement of the isolated fungal species A. piperis, derived from textile effluent, in the biodegradation of textile dyes. Comparative spectrophotometric analysis revealed more than 90% of dye decolourization in the fungus-inoculated medium supplemented with dyes, compared to control. Higher percentage of decolorization were obtained under shaking conditions compared to the stationary method. Dead fungal biomass exhibited effective dye absorption, resulting in a noticeable color change during dye degradation. The seed germination bioassay revealed that treated dye solutions promoted germination; however, untreated inhibited it. Further, untreated dye effluent hindered microbial growth. The excellent performance of A. piperis in the biodegradation of textile azo dyes with diverse chemical structures highlights and reinforces the bioremediation potential of these fungi for environmental decontamination.