Bioremediation for the decolorization of textile dyes-A review

Abstract

Textile dyeing effluents containing recalcitrant dyes are polluting waters due to their color and by the formation of toxic or carcinogenic intermediates such as aromatic amines from azo dyes. Since conventional treatment systems based on chemical or physical methods are quite expensive and consume high amounts of chemicals and energy, alternative biotechnologies for this purpose have recently been studied. A number of anaerobic and aerobic processes have been developed at laboratory scale to treat dyestuff. Some industrial pilot scale plants have even been set up. Additionally, biosorption shows very promising results for decolorizing textile effluents. In this contribution, we review fundamental and applied aspects of biological treatment of textile dyes. © 2005 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.