Bioprospección de microorganismos antárticos para decoloración de pigmentos textiles

Abstract

The textile industry has discharged absurd amounts of wastewater into water bodies over the years. Contaminants such as textile fibers and pigments enter aquatic ecosystems due to human activity, causing various problems for flora and fauna, particularly some of the textile pigments used, which are known to have carcinogenic properties in both animals and humans. This research proposed the use of microorganisms obtained from Antarctica to degrade these pigments. Three textile pigments sourced from the textile industry (Yellow ME4G, Orange RD, and Red Sam) were utilized, and the degradation capacity of twenty-nine microorganisms was evaluated over 14 days using a spectrophotometer. At the end of the experiment, the microorganism B23.1 managed to degrade the Orange RD pigment by almost 50%, a feat not previously achieved in earlier studies conducted by CIBE. B23.1 also exhibited the presence of the enzyme laccase, which explains its degradation capability. Unique ecosystems like Antarctica are of great interest for research of this kind due to the presence of unique microorganisms that can lead us toward sustainable solutions to combat anthropogenic pollution. Keywords: Bioremediation, textile dyes, laccase, bioprospection.