The main objective of this study was to find a more feasible and economical method to extract metal ions from laterite ore by Penicillium chrysogenum. The effect of different substrates on microbial recovery of metal ions from laterite ore using indigenous strain of P. chrysogenum was observed. Maximum recovery of aluminum (86.78%), iron (97.78%), manganese (77.61%), nickel (57.31%) and chromium (34.32%) was recorded in case of shaking flasks experiments up to 24 days of incubation. Metal ions solubilization was also compared with the samples, which were not shaken and maximum recovery of Al (83.54 %), Fe (96.12 %), Mn (88.56 %), Ni (46.53 %) and Cr (37.82 %), were attained up to 24 days of incubation period. Enhanced recovery of Fe and Al may be due to the result of the acidic effect of the environment and the chelating capacity of organic acids.

Reactive dyes are extensively used worldwide in textile industry not only to colour cotton but also wool and polyamide fibers because of their variety of colour shades, brilliant colours, high wet fastness properties and ease of application. A steady increase in reactive dye usage has been observed as a result of higher demand of cotton wear globally. For reactive dye the reaction between the reactive group, dichlorotriazinyl and the fiber involve a nucleophilic addition and substitution mechanism. Burkinshaw and Kabambe 1 accounted that for the dyeing of cotton fabric, pH of the dye solution and equilibrium concentration of cellulosate ions are increased as a result of formation of a covalent bond between the dye and the cellulosic fabric/cotton. However, due to the competition between the Cell Oas well as OHions in the dye bath at high pH, a portion of the dye reacts with OHions instead of the cellulosate ions on the fiber which results in hydrolysis, reported by Epolito et al. 2 .Dyes can be classified by different means e.g. based upon their applications or on the basis of functional group present. According to application techniques by Kirk et al. 3 , dyes may be classified as acid dyes, basic dyes, azoic dyes, direct dyes, mordant dyes, lake or pigment dyes, sulfur dyes, vat dyes, disperse dyes and reactive dyes. Among the varieties of dyes,

Interaction of sulphone based reactive dyes, designated as dye-1 and dye-2, with cationic micellar system of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), has been investigated by spectroscopic and conductometeric measurements. Efficiency of the selected micellar systems is assessed by the values of binding constant (Kb), partition coefficient (Kx) and respective Gibbs energies. Critical micelle concentration (CMC) of surfactant, electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions as well as polarity of the medium plays significant role in this phenomenon. The negative values of Gibbs energies of binding (∆Gb) and partition (∆Gp) predicts the feasibility and spontaneity of respective processes. Similarly negative values of ∆Gm and ∆Hm and positive values of ∆Sm, calculated from conductometeric data, further, revealed the exothermicity, spontaneity and, thus, stability of system. The results, herein, have disclosed the strong interaction between dye and surfactant molecules. The dye-2 has been observed to be solubilized to greater extent, as compared to dye 1, due to strong interaction ith hydrophiles of CTAB and accommodation of its molecules in palisade layer of micelle closer to the micelle/water interface.