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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. 3 (2026)

Development of trained Aspergillus niger van Teighem for efficient basic fuchsin biosorption: A sustainable approach to textile dye wastewater treatment

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.14022
Submitted
6 February 2026
Published
08-07-2026 — Updated on 15-07-2026
Versions

Abstract

Environmental contamination by synthetic dyes from textile and industrial effluents poses significant ecological and health risks, necessitating cost-effective and sustainable remediation technologies. Biosorption using fungal biomass represents a sustainable, cost-effective alternative for dye removal, but efficiency improvements are needed for practical applications. This study evaluated the effect of adaptive training through progressive basic fuchsin exposure on enhancing the biosorption capacity of Aspergillus niger van Teighem for dye wastewater treatment. Aspergillus niger was isolated from soil samples and subjected to systematic adaptive training using malt extract-glucose-yeast extract-peptone (MGYP) medium supplemented with incrementally increasing basic fuchsin concentrations (200–1000 mg/L). Biosorption experiments were conducted using control and trained biomass (M, M1-M5) at varying biosorbent dosages (10-40 mg) and dye concentrations (100 and 200 mg/L). Biosorption mechanisms were analysed using Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models. Adaptive training at 400 mg/L (M2 biomass) yielded optimal performance with Q-values of 127.05 mg/g and 578 mg/g at 100 and 200 mg/L dye concentrations respectively, representing a 6.67 % improvement over untrained control. Training induced a biphasic growth response, initial inhibition (58.44 % at 200 mg/L) followed by recovery (5.95 % increase at 400 mg/L) though severe toxicity (> 600 mg/L) overwhelmed adaptive capacity with up to 65.65 % biomass reduction. Freundlich isotherm provided superior fit (R² = 0.9307-0.9436 at 200 mg/L) with 1/n values of 0.2939-0.3005, confirming heterogeneous multilayer biosorption. Langmuir model showed improved correlation at higher concentrations (R² = 0.9427-0.9825), indicating transition toward monolayer coverage at surface saturation. Controlled adaptive training at moderate stress levels (400 mg/L) significantly enhances A. niger biosorption capacity without compromising structural integrity, offering a cost-effective and sustainable strategy for dye wastewater treatment. The trained biomass approach eliminates expensive chemical modifications while providing competitive performance compared to conventional biosorbents, advancing eco-friendly mycoremediation technologies suitable for resource-limited regions and sustainable industrial wastewater management.

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