Coupling Chemical Oxidation and Myco-Remediation for Enhanced Degradation of Recalcitrant Pollutants

This study presents a novel strategy combining chemical oxidation processes with fungal myco-remediation to enhance the removal of recalcitrant organic pollutants in aqueous systems. The research focuses on Leptosphaerulina sp., a native Colombian white-rot fungus, and its interaction with crystal violet (CV), a persistent triphenylmethane dye. Initially, high concentrations of CV (50 and 200 mg L⁻¹) were found to inhibit both fungal growth and the production of ligninolytic enzymes, indicating the toxic effect of this pollutant on biological systems. To overcome this limitation, three advanced oxidation processes—TiO₂-photocatalysis, sonochemistry, and electrochemistry using a Ti/IrO₂ anode in sodium chloride solution—were applied as pre-treatments. These methods effectively degraded CV by generating reactive species such as hydroxyl radicals (HO·) or active chlorine (HOCl), achieving nearly complete decolorization within 12 hours (photocatalysis and sonochemistry) or 1.33 hours (electrochemistry). However, mineralization remained limited, with total organic carbon (TOC) removals of only 54%, 15%, and 31% respectively, suggesting incomplete breakdown into CO₂ and H₂O.

The treated solutions from these chemical processes were then subjected to myco-remediation using Leptosphaerulina sp. This step proved highly effective: TOC reductions reached 87%, 84%, and 83% for photocatalyzed, sonicated, and electrochemically treated samples, respectively.ROMO1 Antibody medchemexpress Fungal growth and enzyme activity were significantly restored, demonstrating that chemical pretreatment reduced the toxicity and increased the biodegradability of residual compounds.INI-1 Antibody supplier Notably, laccase, manganese peroxidase (MnP), and versatile peroxidase (VP) activities were markedly enhanced, reaching maximum values of 0.PMID:35164214 6 U mg⁻¹, 1.35 U mg⁻¹, and 1.72 U mg⁻¹ at day 15, respectively. These results confirm that the chemical pre-treatment successfully transformed complex, toxic molecules into simpler, more assimilable substrates suitable for fungal metabolism.

The synergistic coupling of chemical oxidation and fungal bioremediation offers a promising alternative for treating recalcitrant pollutants in wastewater. While each individual method has limitations—chemical processes often lack complete mineralization, and biological systems struggle with toxic or non-biodegradable compounds—the integration of both leverages their complementary strengths. The findings demonstrate that this hybrid approach not only enhances degradation efficiency but also promotes sustainable, low-cost water treatment solutions. This work establishes a proof-of-concept for applying combined physicochemical and biological strategies in real-world environmental remediation scenarios involving persistent dyes and industrial effluents.MedChemExpress (MCE) offers a wide range of high-quality research chemicals and biochemicals (novel life-science reagents, reference compounds and natural compounds) for scientific use. We have professionally experienced and friendly staff to meet your needs. We are a competent and trustworthy partner for your research and scientific projects.Related websites: https://www.medchemexpress.com