Journal of Bioremediation & Biodegradation

Abstrait

Decolourisation of Reactive Black 5 Using paenibacillus sp. Immobilised Onto Macrocomposite

Chi Kim Lim, Hui Han Bay, Thuan Chien Kee, Zaiton Abdul Majid and Ibrahim Zaharah

Azo dyes account for one of the major source of dye wastes in textile effluent. In this study, macrocomposites used in the treatment of a reactive dye, Reactive Black 5 or RB5 is a combination of physical and biological method. Macrocompositee were developed by mixing zeolite, activated carbon and cement as a binder to produce porous composites of high compressive strength. It is capable of physical removal of RB5 from solution besides providing surfaces for the attachment and growth of the bacteria, Paenabacillus sp. as biofilm. The efficiency of the system was investigated in the presence and the absence of biofilm (control) in terms of decolourisation and COD removal. Results indicated that the biofilm system showed an overall better treatment efficiency than the control. The biofilm system successfully decolourized the Reactive Black 5 up to 91% (initial value of 100 mg/mL) as compared to the control which only showed decolourisation of about 4%. Besides that, the biofilm system was also effective in reducing COD value from 898 mg/L to 188 mg/L (79%), while only 13% that of the control. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analyses showed the formation of sulphanilic acid (SA) as a possible degradation product of RB5 under anaerobic condition.