Optimization of heavy metal-containing dye Acid Black 172 decolorization by Pseudomonas sp. DY1 using statistical designs

Based on the potential decolorization ability of Pseudomonas sp. strain DY1, a Plackett–Burman design was used to select the operational parameters for decolorization of heavy metal-containing dye Acid Black 172. Four significant parameters, including pH, temperature, concentrations of Fe3+ and NaH2PO4, were optimized. A quadratic model obtained from the response surface design was constructed on experimental data. The optimal condition for decolorization was found to be pH 6.23, 30 °C, 8.0 mM of Fe3+, and 10.0 g/L of NaH2PO4. The confirmatory experiments (86.0% decolorization percentage within the confidence interval) subsequently verified the accuracy of the experimental model. Moreover, the decolorization under the optimal condition fitted the logarithmic model well (R2 = 0.964). This strain really offers an alternative for bioremediation of soil or water contaminated by heavy metal-containing dye.