Optimization of factors for enhanced phycoremediation of Reactive Blue azo dye

Abstract

Synthetic dyes are widely used in textile, leather and other dye-stuff industries. A large fraction of the dyes applied during the dyeing processes are released into wastewater. Therefore, the wastewater from dye-related industries is densely colored, with high chemical oxidation and biological oxidation demand. This wastewater must be treated prior to discharge into wastewater streams to prevent pollution of surface and groundwater, and minimizing risks to public health. The present study was undertaken for the first time in Pakistan to optimize the factors for algae possessing high potential to degrade Reactive Blue azo dye in liquid medium. Among eighty eight (88) isolates of alga, two showed high decolorization, which were used to optimize the decolorization of Reactive Blue azo dye. Both the selected algal strains showed an excellent potential to decolorize 100 mg L -1 Reactive Blue in seven days in the liquid broth.The optimum conditions determined for the two selected algal strains for decolorization of Reactive Blue (100 mg L -1) were pH 7.0, temperature 30°C, light conditions of 16 h, when inoculum size of 1 mL/10 mL was maintained and dye solution was supplemented with 5 g L -1 N and 5 g L -1 P as cosubstrates.