Textile dyeing industries are among the primary sources of severe pollution worldwide. Various physico-chemical technologies are employed to treat effluents; however these processes are often expensive and generate large quantities of sludge containing toxic by-products. Biological treatment of textile dyeing effluent using azoreductases can lead to the formation of aromatic amines, which are toxic, mutagenic and potentially carcinogenic to mammalians. Therefore fungal enzymes present an attractive option for treating textile dyeing effluents. The treatment of raw textile dyeing dye bath effluents at an industrial scale remains a significant challenge in the textile dyeing industry.
In this context Shri A.M.M. Murugappa Chettiar Research Centre (MCRC) has developed a technology for the treating of raw textile dye bath effluents using biological system. This process utilizes an effective fungal system known as Biotreat system, which enhances laccase production for the treatment of dye bath effluent. The Biotreat system addresses multiple problems simultaneously and is both eco-friendly and cost – effective. This single treatment process effectively degrades dyes / colours and reduces salts, heavy metals and other organic substances present in textile wastewater. This system achieves remarkable results, significantly removing colour (99.9%), TDS (50-60%), COD (70-80%) and BOD (70-80%). It can be scaled up or customized according to the needs of various industries, including textiles, pulp and paper and can be implemented at small- scale, cottage - level, decentralized or large industrial settings. The developed system has been successfully scaled up to 1000L treatment/cycle. MCRC holds a patent for this innovation titled “Biotreat system for treating raw textile effluent and a process for the treatment of raw textile effluent”, under Indian Patent No. 432004. This novel process has the potential for significant impact in textile dyeing industry.