Biodegradation of Wet-blue Leather with Different Cladosporium Species

This study includes eight months observation of different Cladosporium species; C. cladosporioides, C. herbarum and C. oxysporum inoculated on the wet-blue sheep leather. It was identified that the Cladosporium types grew easily and mineralized (oxidized) the leather with their enzymes, despite the chrome Ill in the wet-blue. Eight months later, as a result of the Optical Microscopy-Stereoscopy - superficial analyses, SEM Microscopy/Secondary Electron Detector - deeper morphological analysis and SEM Microscopy/X-Ray probe - microanalysis, wet-blue infected with Cladosporium - showed a high amount of calcium sulfate and sodium chloride based crystal clusters. Our results indicated that of all the fungi species we studied, C. cladosporioides most affected the structure of the wet-blue sheep leather and Cr(III) had no toxic effect for this fungi's genus for eight months.