Pentachlorophenol sorption in nylon fiber and removal by immobilized Rhizopus oryzae ENHE

This study describes pentachlophenol (PCP) sorption in nylon fiber in which Rhizopus oryzae ENHE was immobilized to remove the chemical compound. The experimental sorption data were analyzed using the Langmuir, Freundlich, and Redlich-Peterson isotherm models using non-linear error functions to fit the experimental data to the three models. Results showed that the isotherm obtained from the data fitted the three models used. However, the g parameter from Redlich-Peterson model showed that the isotherm obtained approaches the Freundlich model. This support reached the sorption equilibrium concentration at 3 mg PCP g−1 nylon. To study PCP removal capability by R. oryzae ENHE and to eliminate the error caused by PCP sorbed by the nylon fiber during its quantification, nylon fiber at PCP equilibrium sorption concentration was used to immobilize R. oryzae ENHE. It was found that this fungus grew within nylon fiber cubes in presence or not of PCP, even when PCP caused growth inhibition. Maximum biomass accumulated into nylon cubes without PCP was of 32 mg biomass g−1 nylon and into nylon cubes at PCP equilibrium concentration was of 18 mg g−1 nylon. The results showed that R. oryzae ENHE immobilized into nylon fiber removed 88.6% and 92% of PCP in cultures with 12.5 and 25 mg PCP L−1, as initial concentration, respectively. This is the first work to report that a zygomycete, such as R. oryzae ENHE, immobilized into nylon fiber kept its potential to remove PCP.