Biorremediação de um efluente da indústria de laminados de madeira pelo fungo Trichoderma koningiopsis

Abstract

In the process of cooking wood logs in the laminate industry, there is the generation of a highly polluting effluent that is difficult to degrade, containing high levels of phenolics and organic load. In this study, the industrial effluent was analyzed for its pollutant load and biorecalcitrance. The fungus Trichoderma koningiopsis was evaluated as a bioremediation agent, studying the influence of parameters such as concentration of carbon and nitrogen sources and pH of the culture medium. An experimental design (Central Composite Rotatable Design – 23) was used as a study tool in the bioremediation process. The results showed that the effluent presented high levels of total phenolics (9,000.1 mg L-1), soluble lignin (1360 mg L-1) and insoluble lignin (49mg L-1), as well as high turbidity (60.5 NTU) and intense coloration (114,015.15 CU). The BOD values (68,737.02 mg O₂ L-1) and COD (137,812.50 mg O₂ L-1) exceeded the limits established by Brazilian legislation for discharge into water bodies. The BODCOD ratio (0.50) indicated that the effluent is partially biodegradable, suggesting that biological treatments could be viable for its remediation. The fungus Trichoderma koningiopsis showed potential for remediating the studied effluent, achieving removals of up to 88.6% of COD, 94.9% of color, and 84.5% of total phenolics. The optimal cultivation conditions for the fungus for effluent remediation were identified as pH 6, 12g L-1 glucose, and 4 g L-1 ammonium nitrate.