Biodegradation of reactive dye (Verofix Red) by the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium using Box-Behnken experimental design

Biodegradation of reactive dye using the white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium was demonstrated by the disappearance of the colour of reactive dye. An increase in dye concentration showed decreased dye degradation, and maximum dye degradation and increased biomass was observed in medium amended with limited source of nitrogen. Increasing days showed increased biomass production as well as dye degradation. Box-Behnken design with three variables like dye concentration (200, 700 and 1200 mg/l), days (2, 6 and 10) and nitrogen concentration at three different levels (0.054, 0.081 and 0.108 g/l) were studied to identify a significant correlation between the effect of these variables on the amount of biodegradation of reactive dye. The methodology identifies the principal experimental variables, which have the greatest effect in the biodegradation process. The experimental values are in good agreement with predicted values, the correlation coefficient being 0.9988.