Evaluation of two different carriers in the biodegradation process of an azo dye

Purpose The MBBR solution has been applied for the textile wastewater treatment. However, in order to develop cost-effective solutions, waste biomass can be used as carrier. Rice husks are agricultural waste which have been used as an adsorbent of dyes; besides, they can provide and sustain suitable microorganism communities for the degradation of dyes. This study aimed to evaluate the biodegradation of the azo dye Direct Red 75 in two treatment systems with different carriers. Methods Bioreactor A was composed by an anaerobic bioreactor filled with Kaldnes K1 carriers employed in the MBBR technology and the study was performed in 2 different temperatures, 30 +/- 0.5 degrees C and 21 +/- 2 degrees C. Biofilter B was composed by a sequenced anaerobic-aerobic system with rice husks as carriers and this study was performed at 21 +/- 2 degrees C. The rice husks was also employed as a source of microorganisms in both systems. Decolourization, surface area of the carriers and other parameters were analysed. Results Biofilter B showed high rates of decolorization, mainly over 90% in all HRT tested (24, 48 and 12 h), presenting itself as a stable system, whereas Bioreactors A showed better performances with 48 h of HRT, about 85% for A at 30 +/- 0.5 degrees C and 45% at 21 +/- 2 degrees C. With a similar amount of carriers, analyses showed that rice husks had a much larger surface for microorganisms to grow on than Kaldnes K1. Conclusion The Biofilter B is a worthwhile system to be investigated and applied for the decolourization of textile wastewater treatment; for instance, in developing countries.