BIOTREATMENT OF TANNERY EFFLUENT USING INDIGENOUS FUNGI IN BIOREACTOR: AN ECOFRIENDLY AND COSTEFFECTIVE APPROACH

Rapid   industrialization and urbanization are the major problems that contribute to heavy metal pollution in the environment. Owing to various chemical processes, number of toxic pollutants is liberated from industries into the aquatic ecosystem. Among different pollutants, Chromium (Cr)

Project Title

BIOTREATMENT OF TANNERY EFFLUENT USING INDIGENOUS FUNGI IN BIOREACTOR: AN ECOFRIENDLY AND COSTEFFECTIVE APPROACH

Project Area of Specialization

Biomedical Engineering

Project Summary

Rapid   industrialization and urbanization are the major problems that contribute to heavy metal pollution in the environment. Owing to various chemical processes, number of toxic pollutants is liberated from industries into the aquatic ecosystem. Among different pollutants, Chromium (Cr) is a chief metal widely employed in multiple industrial activities such as electroplating, metal finishing, leather tanning, chromate preparation , oxidative dyeing unit, textile dyeing, stainless steel welding, nuclear weapon production and water-cooling towers therefore, it is considered as a major environmental toxin. Effluent discharge from tanneries is regarded as a key source of chromium pollutant in ecosystem. Sulphate salts of chromium have been frequently applied as tanning agent, out of the massive quantity of chromium utilized in the tanning process; 30-40% remains unbound due to poor adsorption and goes away with the industrial effluent . Chromium may be exists in two oxidation states either as Cr (III) or Cr (VI) however; Cr (VI) has been recognized as the most lethal version of chromium metal. Cr (VI) is comparatively more soluble whereas Cr (III) is found to be less mobile in water. Toxicological analysis of Cr (VI) revealed that it exerts toxigenic, mutagenic and carcinogenic effects on human health. The exposure of chromium is found to be associated with many chronic diseases; respiratory illnesses, ulcers and perforation of the nasal septum as well as increased lung and nasal cancer skin irritation diseases, dermatitis , eczema, conjunctivitis, liver and kidney damage. Several conventional physio-chemical methods i.e. chemical, precipitation, chemical oxidation and reduction, ion exchange, filtration reverse osmosis for the treatment of tannery effluent, found to be ineffective since, they are highly expensive, infrastructure intensive and characterized by the generation of sludge. In recent years, removal of heavy metals by biomass of microbes either in viable or nonviable form has gained much attraction as a cost effective, eco-friendly alternative to the existing technologies for the eradication of heavy metals from industrial effluent. Several research reports revealed filamentous fungi as the most promising candidate over single celled microbes for the bioremediation of heavy metal ion from aqueous environment due to their increased cell-surface ratio, diversity in enzymatic makeup and greater physical plus enzymatic contact with pollutants

Project Objectives

• To isolate filamentous fungi from several environmental samples.

• To evaluate fungal potential for chromium removal.

• To identify and select the promising fungal culture.

• To optimize various physico-chemical parameters for maximum and effectual chromium removal by selected fungi.

• To apply the promising fungal culture in bioreactor under optimized condition for efficient removal of chromium.

• To analyze treated and untreated effluent samples(s) on the basis of physicochemical parameters.

Project Implementation Method

1. Sample Collection:

Sample will be collected from different environmental sources.

1. Isolation:

Spread plate method will be used for the isolation of fungi (Erin R. Sanders et al, 2012).

1. Screening of Isolated Culture:

The isolated culture will be screened through Diphenylcarbazide assay method.  (Zygmunt Marczenko et al, 2000).

1. Identification of Fungal Culture:

Identification of  promising fungal culture will be carried out on the basis of routine mycological methods (Catherine H. Pashley et al, 2012).

1. Preservation of Selected Fungi:

Spore suspension of 0.01% tween 80 will be prepared in order to preserve the fungal culture.

1. Optimization of Different Nutritional and Environmental Condition:

Several nutritional and environmental factors like pH, temperature will be optimized for maximum chromium removal from tannery effluent sample(s).

1. Designing of Bioreactor:

Designing of Bioreactor will be executed to attain maximum removal of chromium from tannery effluent (F. Migahed et al, 2016).

1. Physico-chemical Characterization of APHA Standards:

Characterization of tannery effluent interms of Chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS) and total dissolved solids (TDS) will be carried out.

Benefits of the Project

This research study will underline the outstanding participation of an indigenous fungi employed under STR conditions for the annihilation of Chromium that invigorates its propensity towards bioremediation and suggesting this system as an environmentally sound, manageable and feasible mode for coping with colored wastewaters.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

Sample will be collected from different environmental sources.

Spread plate method will be used for the isolation of fungi

The isolated culture will be screened through Diphenylcarbazide assay method.  (Zygmunt Marczenko et al, 2000).

Identification of  promising fungal culture will be carried out on the basis of routine mycological methods (Catherine H. Pashley et al, 2012).

Spore suspension of 0.01% tween 80 will be prepared in order to preserve the fungal culture.

Several nutritional and environmental factors like pH, temperature will be optimized for maximum chromium removal from tannery effluent sample(s).

Designing of Bioreactor will be executed to attain maximum removal of chromium from tannery effluent (F. Migahed et al, 2016).

Characterization of tannery effluent interms of Chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS) and total dissolved solids (TDS) will be carried out.

Final Deliverable of the Project

Hardware System

Core Industry

Energy

Other Industries

Medical , Manufacturing , Others , Health

Core Technology

Clean Tech

Other Technologies

Others

Sustainable Development Goals

Clean Water and Sanitation

Required Resources

If you need this project, please contact me on contact@adikhanofficial.com