MYCOREMEDIATION OF TEXTILE DYES USING TALAROMYCES FUNICULOSUM JAMS1

The present study was planned with the aim to remove various dye decolorization using fungal strains. The fungi was isolated from soil samples collected from waste disposal areas and agricultural fields. Nine isolates were initially selected for testing their decolorization potential in the liquid medium. Three most effective strains were used to study the decolorization of four different dyes i.e Reactive Red, Navy Blue HER, Reactive Magenta B and Orange 3R. The strain belonging to Talaromyces funiculosum (M2F) was found to be the most potent strain. More than 70% decolorization was observed under optimal incubation conditions of temperature and pH. Overall, the dye decolorization was maximum at 250 mg/L dye concentrations at pH 5-6 under continuous shaking conditions. The culture conditions like pH, temperature, inoculum size and NaCl concentrations were also found effective in decolorization efficacy of the fungal strain which was studied using Response surface methodology (RSM) with Minitab 16 software. Qualitative and quantitative assays for determining the production of lignolytic enzymes such as laccases and peroxidises by the fungal strains were studied and a comparison of degraded and undegraded forms of the dye were done by using analytical techniques like FTIR, UV Vis spectroscopy and GCMS.