Utilizing agricultural waste in solid state fermentation for multiple environmental applications

World Congress and Expo on Recycling

July 20-22, 2015 Barcelona, Spain

Prachi Kaushik

Posters-Accepted Abstracts: J Environ Anal Toxicol

Abstract :

Various waste agricultural residues such as corn cob, wheat bran, wheat straw and sugarcane bagasse have been utilized as the substrate for solid state fermentation by different industrially important fungal isolates belonging to Aspergillus sp. and Rhizopus sp. These fungal isolates have shown promising potential in treatment of dye and heavy metal containing water and wastewater released from various industries. More than 90% removal of various cationic as well as anionic dyes has been achieved using these fungal isolates. Initially xylanase, cellulase and carboxy-methyl cellulase production potential of these fungal isolates was observed on various waste agricultural products through solid state fermentation. Waste agricultural residues such as corn cob, wheat bran, wheat straw and sugarcane bagasse, having considerable contents of hemicellulose and cellulose were selected as the substrate. Nitrogen for the growth of the fungi was supplemented through a low cost optimized media containing urea and ammonium chloride. Enzyme activity for various enzymes was measured through standard protocols after 5 days of incubation at 30ºC. After elution of the enzyme, spent fermented slurry was used to study the removal of Methylene Blue dye (cationic dye) and Acid Navy Blue dye (anionic dye) where more than 90% dye removal was achieved in 5h through biosorption. Thus the present technology provides an alternative for the use of waste agricultural residues for dual purpose of enzyme production and waste water treatment.