Analysis of the remediation competence of Aspergillus flavus biomass in wastewater of the dyeing industry: An in-vitro study

The dyeing industry effluent causes severe environmental pollution and threatens the native flora and fauna. The current study aimed to analyze the physicochemical parameters of dyeing industry wastewater collected in different sites (K1, E2, S3, T4, and V5), as well as the metal tolerance and decolourisation ability of Aspergillus flavus. Furthermore, the optimal biomass quantity and temperatures required for efficient bioremediation were investigated. Approximately five dyeing industry wastewater samples (K1, E2, S3, T4, and V5) were collected from various sampling stations, and the majority of the physical and chemical characteristics were discovered to be above the permissible limits. A. flavus demonstrated outstanding metal resistance to As, Cu, Cr, Zn, Hg, Pb, Ni, and Cd on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) plates at concentrations of up to 500 g mL−1. At 4 g L−1 concentrations, A.flavus biomass decolorized up to 11.2–46.5%. Furthermore, 35ᵒC was found to be the optimal temperature for efficient decolourisation of A.flavus biomass. The toxicity of 35ᵒC-treated wastewater on V.mungo and prawn larvae was significantly reduced. These findings indicate that the biomass of A. flavus can be used to decolorize dyeing industry wastewater.