Accelerating Textile Dye Bioremoval by Aeration

A series of batch and bioreactors experiments were carried out for absorption of dis-azo dyes present in textile mill effluents under different aeration conditions. One fungal strain with five rates of air was used to absorb direct brown dye. Five liters bioreactors were applied to study the removal performance. The experimental results are compared for various operating conditions. The effects of airflow rate (1/8, ¼, ½, 1, 2 v/v min) inlet on the dye removing were assessed. It was found that the rate of aeration of ½ v/v min induced increase in dye removal percentages (72%) and fungal biomass (9.2 g); at the rate of aeration of 2 v/v min, high dye removal percentage (77%) was recorded with a decrease in biomass dry weight at the end of the incubation time. The results also indicated that the biomass dry weight obtained at three flow rates of aeration was more or less similar until the end of the growth stage (after incubation for three days). The results obtained indicate that using low rate of aeration (1/8, ¼, ½ v/v min) was better for dye biosorption than high rate (1, 2 v/v min), and therefore it is recommended for dis-azo dye removing.