Full Length Research Paper

Decolorization of reactive dyes under batch anaerobic condition by mixed microbial culture

Mustafa Karatas*, Sukru Dursun and Mehmet Emin Argun

Environmental Engineering Department, Engineering and Architecture Faculty, Selcuk University, 42003 Konya, Turkey.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: mkaratas@selcuk.edu.tr. Tel: +90 332 223 2113. Fax: +90 332 241 0635.

Accepted 15 October, 2009

   Abstract

Decolorization of reactive dyes, which are used in textile industry, under batch anaerobic conditions by mixed microbial culture was investigated in this study. Decolorization of C.I. Reactive Black 5 (RB 5), C.I. Reactive Red 24 (RR 24) and C.I. Reactive Blue 49 (RB 49) with initial concentrations ranging from 150 to 2400 mg/L was investigated. Decolorization efficiencies obtained were 93.4% for RB 5 and 98.9% for RR 24 both with initial concentration of 2400 mg/L after 24 h incubation period. However, decolorization was lower for the dye of RB 49 than other two dyes in all concentrations despite 72 h incubation period by mixed anaerobic culture. All of the three dyes correlated with 1^st order reaction kinetic with respect to decolorization kinetics. The results of the study demonstrated that high decolorization was obtained under anaerobic condition depending on chemical structure of the dye.

Key words: Reactive dyes, decolorization, anaerobic condition, mixed culture, kinetics.