Enhanced Decolorization of Basic Violet 14 Dye Wastewater and Its Phytotoxicity Assessment: A Green Approach

Abstract

Dye-polluted wastewater poses significant health risks and necessitates effective management techniques to mitigate its environmental and biological impact. Industrialization, particularly in the textile sector, has led to widespread water pollution as untreated or inadequately treated industrial effluents, rich in toxic synthetic dyes, are discharged into water bodies. These pollutants are not only harmful to aquatic ecosystems but also pose serious risks to human health due to their carcinogenic properties. Addressing this challenge, the current study investigates the use of a bacterial strain, Bacillus subtilis, to degrade the persistent and carcinogenic dye, basic violet 14, found in industrial wastewater. Initial experiments using the one-factor-at-a-time approach resulted in ∼74% decolorization, which was significantly improved to 84.40% through the use of response surface methodology and the Box-Behnken design. Under optimal conditions (dye concentration 100 mg/L, temperature 32.5°C, pH 7, inoculum size 10% v/v), the bacterial treatment was highly effective. Advanced techniques like UV-Visible spectroscopy and FTIR were employed to assess the structural changes in the dye post-treatment. Additionally, a phytotoxicity assay demonstrated the treated water's potential for safe reuse in agriculture, highlighting this bacterial strain's promise as a sustainable bioremediation agent for dye-polluted wastewater, benefiting both the environment and industries.