Biological Decolorization of a Textile Effluent with Cochineal Extract.

Synthetic colorants used in the textile industry generate a negative impact in the environment. An alternative is to use natural colorants during the process. However, few studies have been performed to establish biodegradability of these effluents. In this work, ability of Trametes versicolor to decrease color intensity of a textile effluent with cochineal is shown (carminic acid, 500 mg/L). Aerobic systems were utilized to reduce the concentration of carminic acid and estimated biological decolorization on textile effluent. It was found a positive correlation among the fungal growth, the presence of glucose and decolorization (99.4% ± 0.042). We demonstrated that Trametes versicolor CDBB-H-1051 is able to degrade textile effluent with cochineal extract using a bio-augmented system. In our knowledge, this is the first report related to reduce color from a textile effluent with cochineal. These results will contribute to establish strategies to reduce contamination generated by textile industries and promote application of natural colorants in Mexico.