Decolourisation of Acid Violet 7 with complex pellets of white rot fungus and activated carbon

Complex mycelium pellets of a white rot fungus, Trametes versicolor, with activated carbon powder were prepared and investigated for decolourisation of an azo dye, Acid Violet 7. The pellets had a black core of activated carbon powder that was surrounded by a layer of white fungal mycelium. Compared to the activated carbon powder, the mycelium pellets (activated carbon free), and the mycelium pellets plus the activated carbon powder that was added into a dye solution, the complex pellets showed the highest and the most stable activity of dye decolourisation in batch cultures. The high decolourisation rate of the complex pellets was attributed nor only to dye adsorption by the activated carbon in the complex pellets, but also to adsorption of extracellular enzymes and other reagents involved in dye decolourisation as well as the closeness between the dye molecules and the fungal cells. The complex pellets were further evaluated in a fluidized-bed reactor in two operation modes: a continuous flow feeding and a repeated-batch feeding. The latter gave higher and more stable decolourisation efficiency than the former. Production of laccase in flask culture and the fluidized-bed bioreactor was also compared.