Co-planted floating phyto-bed along with microbial fuel cell for enhanced textile effluent treatment

Abstract

A floating phytobed system based on plants of Chrysopogon zizanioides and Typha angustifolia (Consortium CT) was effective in the removal of Scarlet RR Dye (150 mg/L) and a textile effluent, with rates of 89 and 87%, respectively, within a 60-h period, which demonstrates a higher elimination rate than an individual plantation. In addition, the treatment of textile effluents with the floating phytobed linked to microbial fuel cells was enhanced in terms of color reduction, chemical oxygen demand, biological oxygen demand, total dissolved solids and total suspended solids up to 82, 75, 75, 67 and 70%, respectively. Moreover, it produced a power of 0.0769 W/m(2) at current density of 0.3846 A/m(2). Terminal restriction length polymorphism community analysis documented 37 new genera which have a probable role in efficient treatment as well as power generation. Induction in the activities of oxidoreductase, high performance thin layer chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy analyses of treated Scarlet RR dye confirmed the biotransformation. Toxicity evaluated on gill histology of Lamellidens marginalis and inter simple sequence repeat marker assessment confirmed the decreased toxicity of Scarlet RR after phyto-transformation.