Evaluation of a Microbial Consortium and Selection of a Support in an Anaerobic Reactor Directed to the Bio-Treatment of Wastewater of the Textile Industry

The dyeing processes of the textile industry generate waste products such as unfixed dyes, phenolic surfactants and heavy metals. These constitute an environmental problem for the bodies receiving their wastewater due to the interruption of the lighting in the aquatic environment and the release of toxic molecules by the decomposition of the dyes. There are several treatment methods, of which biological methods are the most feasible. In the current study, the I5-ESPE microbial consortium was obtained and evaluated on the components of textile wastewater, in addition to the selection of a support for an anaerobic reactor that is directed to the treatment of effluents from the textile industry. Two microbial consortia were achieved by exposure to air in Pseudomonas culture medium modified with direct dyes Red 23 and Blue 106, evaluating their removal capacity of the reactive dyes Navy 171, Red 141 and Yellow 84. The consortium I5-ESPE was selected for its greatest action, yielding approximately 95% removal. Its tolerance to phenol was also determined; we reached 98% removal of chromium(VI) and 67% of total chromium under anaerobic conditions and some 25% zinc in aerobiosis. The reduction in the chemical oxygen demand (COD) was evaluated with (57.03%) and without (31.47%) aeration. The species Staphylococcus xylosus , Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida tropicalis were identified prior to treatment of textile wastewater, as well as Enterobacter cloacae and Bacillus megaterium after treatment. Bacillus subtilis was present throughout the process. We evaluated coconut shell as a support for an anaerobic reactor, and it demonstrated better physical characteristics than plastic and common rock, in addition to similar results in the reduction in COD of 50%, volatile suspended solids of 2545.46 mg/L and total suspended solids of 282.82 mg/L.