Rotating drum biological contactor and its application for textile dyes decolorization

A laboratory-scale rotating drum biological contactor (RDBC) with immobilized white rot fungus Irpex lacteus was used to decolorize synthetic wastewaters containing the azo dye Reactive Orange 16 (RO16) and the anthraquinone dye Remazol Brilliant Blue R (RBBR). Two particulate drum packings were used to immobilize the fungus: the AL-Schwimmbett Medium 100L that appeared not to be convenient, because of a low adhesion of the fungal mycelium to the particles, and the oak wood cylinders that supported formation of a thin layer of the fungal biofilm on the surface of the particles resulting to faster degradation of the dyes in comparison with the AL-Schwimmbett Medium 100L particles. In batch decolorization experiments at the initial dyes concentration of 100 mg dm(-3) it took from 4 to 5 hours for the RBBR and 21 hours for RO16 to get 85% decolorization. In the continuous decolorization experiment at high inlet mass flow rate (0.5 mg min(-1)) of the RBBR dye the degree of decolorization achieved was just 20%. Activities of the enzymes manganese-dependent peroxidase, lignin peroxidase and laccase were also monitored during experiments. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd.