Bioreduction of Hexavalent Chromium by Live and Active Phanerochaete chrysosporium: Kinetics and Modeling

In this work the potential of live and active Phanerochaete chryosporium, a white rot fungi, to remove lower Cr(VI) concentration from aqueous solutions was reported for the first time. A medium pH had significant effect on the growth of the fungus and bioremoval of Cr(VI). Substrate inhibition on the growth of Phanerochaete chrysosporium was evident beyond 20 g L^?1 of dextrose concentration. A maximum biomass concentration of 15.64 g L^?1 was obtained for an initial dextrose concentration of 20 g L^?1 in metal free medium at pH 6.0. An increase in Cr(VI) concentration beyond 10 mg L^?1 inhibited the growth of the fungi, thereby, reducing the chromium bioremoval efficiency. A maximum reduction efficiency of 98.92% was reported for an initial metal concentration of 10 mg L^?1. A mathematical expression for the bioreduction of Cr(VI) considering the organic compounds in the cells was proposed.