Preparation and Characterization of Yeast-Immobilized Cotton-Based Materials and Their Usage for Textile Dye Decolourization

In this study, cotton fibers and untreated cotton fabric structures used in the textile industry were activated and used as yeast immobilization matrix. Cotton and untreated cotton fabric structures immobilized with yeast were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray spectroscopy techniques for the determination of their immobilization rates. In addition, surface properties and morphological properties of yeast immobilized structures were investigated. Then, yeast immobilized cotton-based structures were used for color removal of Reactive Blue 171 (RB 171) textile dye, which is a serious environmental pollution factor. Very high color removal results were obtained for both raw cotton and untreated cotton fabric samples with yeast immobilized. For yeast immobilized untreated cotton fabrics, dye color removal results were obtained as 55% and 57%, respectively, after 24 h under static and shaking conditions. For raw cotton fibers immobilized with yeast, the RB 171 decolorization efficiency was 76 and 83% dye decolourization results in static and agitated conditions, respectively. As a result, it has been seen that yeast immobilized cotton fibers can be used successfully in the decolourization of reactive textile dyes.