Decolorisation of synthetic dyes and textile wastewater using Polyporus rubidus

Effluent from textile industries were treated with enzyme from white rot fungi isolated from outskirts of Mumbai and identified as Polyporus rubidus in our laboratory. Decolorisation of 4 Reactive dyes commonly found in the effluents such as Reactive bue, Reactive orange, Ramazol black and Congo red was examined by treatment with enzyme from Polyporus rubidus. Treatment of effluent was done in a laboratory scale bioreactor constructed with laccase immobilized Na-alginate beads. Greater than 80% of dyes were degraded within 5 days under stationary incubation conditions. The enzyme had a maxmimum activity of 17.1U after 3 days and was found to be secreted extracellularly by Polyporus rubidus. In this study the Polyporus rubidus has been reported for the first time to have laccase activity offering a promising possibility to develop an easy and cost effective method for degradation of dangerous dyes.