Microbial Degradation Studies in Pulp and Paper Industries

Abstract

Pulp and paper industries effluents polluted a large area of land and newlinegroundwater and cause a major threat to the environment. Pulp and paper mills newlinegenerate varieties of pollutants depending upon the type of the pulping process. newlineThere are various physiochemical methods are used for the treatment of newlinecontaminated sites but they are not very effective as biological methods because of newlinecost ineffectiveness and residual effects. Thus there is a quick need to degrade these newlinetoxic compounds in an eco-friendly way. Bioremediation is the process that uses newlinebiological systems to catalyze the transformation of toxic chemicals into non toxic newlineform. Microbial remediation, an emerging technology has greater potentials to newlineremediate contaminant from soil and water by the use of various fungi and bacteria. newlineMicroorganisms have a great strength to treat industrial effluents by using the waste newlineproducts as fuel or food and convert or fragment the pollutant into non-toxic forms. newlineEffective mycoflora is the consortia of valuable and natural occurring fungi which newlinecan easily colonize and degrade large varieties of waste e.g. waste paper, saw dust, newlinewood chips, bagasse, black liquor of pulp and paper industrial effluents etc. with the newlinehelp of absorption and extracellular enzymatic activity. Microbial degradation newlinetechniques have no negative impact on the environment. They degrade the toxic newlinecompounds in natural ways. It has been promoted as an eco-friendly and sustainable newlinesolution to urban waste management. Pulp and paper mills effluent contains high newlineamounts of cellulose, which is an ideal organic waste for the growth of most of newlinemicroorganism as well as composting by potential microbes. There is a wide newlinespectrum of microorganisms which can produce the variety of enzymes like newlinecellulase, xylanase, etc. under appropriate conditions. Various groups of fungi, newlineconsidered as natural lignocelluloses destroyers. Fungi are well producer of newlinecellulolytic enzymes that extensively used for the degradation of cellulose in pulp newlineand paper industries. The aim of t