Kalnake, R.P.Raval, R.Murthy, D.V.R.Vanzara, P.B.Raval, K.2026-02-042023Bioresource Technology Reports, 2023, 22, , pp. -https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biteb.2023.101449https://idr.nitk.ac.in/handle/123456789/21877Reactive azo dyes are toxic and carcinogenic. In this study, mixed cultures of white-rot fungi (WRF) are used to treat synthetic reactive black 5 (RB-5) wastewater in a modified rotating packed disc bioreactor (RPDB). The continuous degradation studies were carried out for 25 days under the influence of the recycle stream in which 3665 L of synthetic effluent was treated. The dye wastewater was completely decolorized with more than 93 % chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction using the mixed fungal culture. During the continuous operation, the COD of influent reduced more than 85 % for successive 25 days of continuous operation at hydraulic retention time of 10.8 h. The dry biomass loading was about 0.14 g/g GAC at the end of the continuous process. The rate of COD removal followed first order kinetics with a rate constant of 0.026 per hour. The treated water was reused to produce melanin from microbial culture. © 2023 Elsevier LtdAzo dyesBiodegradationBiological water treatmentEffluentsFungiOxygenRate constantsReusabilityWastewater reclamationWastewater treatmentWater conservationAzo-dyesCarcinogenicsChemical-oxygen demandsContinuous operationMixed culturesReactive azo-dyeReactive black 5ReuseRotating packed disk bioreactorWhite rot fungiBioreactorsactivated carbonazo dyemelaninwaterArticlebiomasschemical oxygen demandconcentration (parameter)continuous processdecolorizationdegradationeffluentfirst order rate constantfungus culturehydraulic retention timekineticsmelanogenesismetabolitemixed cell culturemolecular weightnonhumanPhanerochaetePseudomonas stutzerireduction (chemistry)Trametes versicolorwaste water recyclingwhite rot fungus