Selection Of Pseudomonas For Industrial Textile Dyes Decolourization
 

E.B.Tambourgi^1*, E.Silveira^1,2,3, P.P.Marques², S.S.Silva², J.L.Lima-Filho², A.L.F.Porto^3
1School of Chemical Engineering, State University of Campinas, Unicamp-6066,
13083-970, Campinas-SP, (BRAZIL)
²Laboratorio de Imunopatologia Keizo Asami, LIKA–Federal University of Pernambuco,
UFPE- Cidade Universitaria, 50670-901, Recife-PE, (BRAZIL)
³DMFA/Cenapesq-Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, UFRPE-Dois Irmaos,
52171-900, Recife-PE, (BRAZIL)

Pigment is the first contaminant to be recognised in bodies of water and wastewater. Besides the aesthetic problem, dyes obstruct light and reduce oxygen mass transfer. This paper describes the selection of Pseudomonas strains with the ability to remove colour from textile industrial dyes. Four Pseudomonas species were tested against 14 commercial industrial dyes. P.cepacia exhibited no growth at all on plates containing dyes (1 g•l^-1), whereas P.aeruginosa, P.oleovorans and P.putida exhibited considerable growth. Decolourization in a liquid culture revealed that P.oleovorans is more viable for decolourizing textile dyes, as it achieved over 80% colour removal for two of the 14 dyes studied; it also proved to be more tolerant to high dye concentrations.