The importance of the morphology and hydrophobicity of different carriers on the immobilization and sugar refinery effluent degradation activity of Phanerochaete chrysosporium

There was no direct correlation between the surface hydrophobicity or hydrophilicity of four solid carriers and the amount of immobilized Phanerochaete chrysosporium. The immobilized biomass was 1.5–1.8 times higher and the fungal degradation activity was 5–8 and 3 times greater in terms of decolorization and phenolics reduction, respectively, with porous carriers than with non-porous carriers. Morphology of the carriers was important and governed the amount of immobilized mycelium and specially the fungal biodegradation activity.