No abstract

A common heavy metal pollutant of water resources, copper (II), can cause serious health problems or even death. Over the past few years, several filamentous fungi strains have been isolated, identified, and tested for their ability to bio-adsorb heavy metals for potential use in the bio-remediation of copper from wastewater. In this study, variables, including the dosage of fungal pellets, temperature, pH, time, initial copper concentration, and agitation rate, were assessed to select the best conditions for the adsorption of copper by Dictyuchus sterile pellets. To identify the active groups responsible for metal adsorption, microscopic observations were made using a light microscope and scanning electron microscope. The copper adsorbent was then analyzed before and after adsorption using an atomic adsorption spectrophotometer and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The ideal adsorption conditions were: fungal pellets with a wet weight of 1 g.L-1 at a temperature of 25°C, pH 5.5, the initial copper concentration of 100 ppm, and shaking at a speed of about 250 rpm for 72 h to achieve a removal efficiency rate of 95%. Copper adsorbed with the biomass of the fungal pellets was 57 mg.g-1. The use of fungal pellets would be a method that can be used to increase the surface area of adsorption and also is thought to be one of the most cost-effective ways to remove trace metals from polluted water.

Toxic dyes are commonly discharged into waste waters and dyes are extensively used in the textile industry so it is necessary to find out efficient and eco-friendly method for treating waste waters resulting from industrial effluences. To achieve this aim the fungus Trichoderma sp. is employed into two lines: first line was self – immobilized fungal pellets in (Czapek – Dox medium) to adsorbs two dyes crystal violet, congo red by concentrations 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05, 0.06 mg/L to both dyes, PH 2, room temperature with shaker in ( hrs.2,hrs.4,hrs.24) , by Uv- Visible spectrum . the removal efficiency of 0.05 mg/L crystal violet by Trichoderma sp was 96%. but there was no removal by congo red. The second line was immobilizing fungal mycelium to Graphain oxide free – standing aerogel to increase efficiency of adsorption. The decolorization of toxic dyes solution was detected by the change in the adsorption Uv- Visible spectrum and scanning microscopy analysis which revealed that there was dye adsorption on fungal mycelium surface. After treatment of crystal violet with 20 mg Graphain oxide -fungi aerogel in the condition PH 2, room temperature with shaker in time (hrs.2 ,hrs.4 , hrs.24 ) removal percentage to crystal violet was increasing with to raise concentrations the dye crystal violet until reaching the maximum removal percentage 97% in hrs.4 in 0.05mg/L concentrate , and it increased the efficiency of other concentrations . In contrast, according to congo red there was no color removal in any concentration within treatment time since congo red surface carries both negative and positive charges and causes electrostatic attraction, therefor, the adsorption reduced or does not occur.Trichoderma sp. is considered a selective  removal to basic dyes and could be employed to remove dyes from industrial effluents.