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Ten white-rot fungal isolates were evaluated for the decolorization potential of pulp and paper mill effluent. Trametes elegans PP17-06, Pseudolagarobasidium sp. PP17-33, and Microporus sp.2 PP17-20 showed the highest decolorization efficiencies between 42 and 54% in 5 d. To reveal the mechanisms involved in decolorization and assess the long-term performance, PP17-06, which showed the highest decolorization efficiency, was further investigated. It could reduce the ADMI color scale by 63.6% in 10 d. However, extending the treatment period for more than 10 d did not significantly enhance the decolorization efficiencies. The maximum MnP activity of 3.27 U L -1 was observed on the 6 d during the biodegradation. In comparison, laccase activities were low with the maximum activity of 0.38 U L -1 (24 d). No significant LiP activities were monitored during the experiment. Dead fungal biomass showed an optimum decolorization efficiency of 44.18% in 8 d employing the biosorption mechanism. No significant changes in the decolorization efficiency were observed after that, suggesting the equilibrium status was reached. These results revealed that PP17-06 has the potential to decolorize pulp and paper mill effluent by employing both biodegradation and biosorption processes., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

It is important to implement detection and assessment of plant diseases based on remotely sensed data for disease monitoring and control. Hyperspectral data of healthy leaves, leaves in incubation period and leaves in diseased period of wheat stripe rust and wheat leaf rust were collected under in-field conditions using a black-paper-based measuring method developed in this study. After data preprocessing, the models to identify the diseases were built using distinguished partial least squares (DPLS) and support vector machine (SVM), and the disease severity inversion models of stripe rust and the disease severity inversion models of leaf rust were built using quantitative partial least squares (QPLS) and support vector regression (SVR). All the models were validated by using leave-one-out cross validation and external validation. The diseases could be discriminated using both distinguished partial least squares and support vector machine with the accuracies of more than 99%. For each wheat rust, disease severity levels were accurately retrieved using both the optimal QPLS models and the optimal SVR models with the coefficients of determination (R2) of more than 0.90 and the root mean square errors (RMSE) of less than 0.15. The results demonstrated that identification and severity evaluation of stripe rust and leaf rust at the leaf level could be implemented based on the hyperspectral data acquired using the developed method. A scientific basis was provided for implementing disease monitoring by using aerial and space remote sensing technologies.

White-rot fungus Phlebia sp. MG-60 was identified as a good producer of ethanol from several cellulosic materials containing lignin. When this fungus was cultured with 20 g/L unbleached hardwood kraft pulp (UHKP), 8.4 g/L ethanol was produced after 168 h of incubation giving yields of ethanol of 0.42 g/g UHKP, 71.8% of the theoretical maximum. When this fungus was cultured with waste newspaper, 4.2g/L ethanol was produced after 216 h of incubation giving yields of ethanol of 0.20 g/g newspaper, 51.1% of the theoretical maximum. Glucose, mannose, galactose, fructose and xylose were completely assimilated by Phlebia sp. MG-60 with ethanol yields of 0.44, 0.41, 0.40, 0.41 and 0.33 g/g of sugar respectively. These results indicated that Phlebia sp. MG-60 was a good candidate for bioethanol production from cellulosic materials., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A novel laccase producing Basidiomycete Peniophora sp. (NFCCI-2131) was isolated from pulp and paper mill effluent. The optimal temperature and initial pH for laccase production by the isolate in submerged culture were found to be 30 and 4.6° C, respectively. Maltose (20 g l⁻¹) and tryptone (1.0 g l⁻¹) were the most suitable carbon and nitrogen sources for laccase production. Cu²⁺ (1.0 mM) and veratryl alcohol induced maximum laccase production giving 6.6 and 6.07 U/ml laccase activity, respectively. Under optimised culture conditions, 7.6 U/ml activity was obtained, which was 2.4 times higher than that was achieved in basal medium. An evaluation of the delignification efficiency of the crude enzyme in the presence of redox mediators [2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) and (1-hydroxybenzotriazole)] revealed structural changes in lignin and existence of many active centres for both chemical and biological degradation of lignin following enzymatic treatment.

We assessed viability of 18 strains of filamentous ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic basid-iomycetes and ascomycetes after cryopreservation with a novel technique based on charcoal filter paper strips (CFS). The results indicate that axenic fungal cultures grown on CFS recovered from freezing within a few days, even though none survived cryopreservation by the conventional straw method. Fungal growth on CFS was more vigorous, with morphological differentiations such as rhizomorphs and an increased amount of aerial mycelia compared to the unamended culture media. Accordingly CFS allows the cryopreservation of a wide range of rare and important ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungi, which hitherto were difficult to revive from liquid nitrogen storage with the conventional and widely applied straw technique.

White-rot fungus Trameteshirsute (T.h. 19-6) was used for modifying the eucalyptus CTMP fibres. Results show that the T.h. 19-6 removed mainly lignin (by 7.42%) and extractive (by 11.52%) after a short period of 5days incubation. Due to the fungal degradation of the fibre wall materials, the middle lamella remainder on the fibre surface was significantly reduced and the fibre wall structure was loosened, which led to an increase in fibre internal bonding strength by 32% and an increase in handsheet tensile index and tear index by 49%, and 34%, respectively. A subsequent PFI refining process further amplified the fungal treatment effect, resulting in extensive fibre internal fibrillation. Compared with untreated pulp, fungus-treated pulp reached the same freeness levels with less PFI revolutions, indicating potential energy saving in the refining process.

There has been increasing interest in extracellular enzymes from white rot fungi, such as lignin and manganese peroxidases, and laccases, due to their potential to degrade both highly toxic phenolic compounds and lignin. The optimum cultivation conditions for laccase production in semi-solid and liquid medium by Trametes versicolor, Trametes villosa, Lentinula edodes and Botrytis cinerea and the effects of laccase mediator system in E1 effluent were studied. The higher laccase activity (12756 U) was obtained in a liquid culture of T. versicolor in the presence of 1 mM of 2,5-xylidine and 0.4 mM copper salt as inducers. The effluent biotreatments were not efficient in decolorization with any fungal laccases studied. Maximum phenol reduction was approximately 23% in the absence of mediators from T. versicolor. The presence of 1-hydroxybenzotriazole did not increase phenol reduction. However, acetohydroxamic acid, which was not degraded by laccase, acted very efficiently on E1 effluent, reducing 70% and 73% of the total phenol and total organic carbon, respectively. Therefore, acetohydroxamic acid could be applied as a mediator for laccase bioremediation in E1 effluent.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the semi-continuous post-treatment of anaerobically-pre-treated weak black liquor (anaerobic effluent, AnE) by aerobic post-treatment using hybrid pellets of Trametes versicolor. The latter consisted of fungus immobilized onto holm oak sawdust (mixed or double pellets) or a mixture of holm oak sawdust and powdered activated carbon (triple pellets). First, a semicontinuous experiment was run to compare the effectiveness of triple and mixed pellets in agitated flasks for 15 cycles of 7 days each. A second extended batch test was implemented with 500 mL AnE and triple pellets to give 400 mg fungal biomass; some units were spiked with protease inhibitor. In the first experiment, triple pellets displayed consistently higher removal efficiencies of pollutant parameters than double pellets (10 to 15% higher), although overall averages were moderate and no statistical significance to the difference could be set because of the noise of fluctuations. Periodic fluctuations of removal were characterized by three periods of approximately six cycles each with maximum removals occurring at cycles 3-4, 7-9, 13, and 14. Evaluating pooled removals of the latter cycles showed that triple pellets were significantly more effective than double pellets, with removal efficiencies as high as 47% of COD, colour, and absorbance at 254 nm (A254). In general, protease activity seemed to increase in the third period (last six cycles), whereas activities of MnP, LiP and Lac significantly decreased. In the second experiment, pollutant removals and enzymatic activities of triple pellets with protease inhibitor were significantly higher than those of units without added protease inhibitor. These results indicate that protease could be the main cause of periodic falls of pollutant removal efficiencies found in the first experiment.

An investigation was conducted to explore the lignin-degrading capacity of attached-growth white-rot fungi. Five white-rot fungi, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Pleurotus ostreatus, Lentinus edodes, Trametes versicolor and S22, grown on a porous plastic media, were individually used to treat black liquor from a pulp and paper mill. Over 71% of lignin and 48% of chemical oxygen demand (COD) were removed from the wastewater. Several factors, including pH, concentrations of carbon, nitrogen and trace elements in wastewater, all had significant effects on the degradation of lignin and the removal of COD. Three white-rot fungi, P. chrysosporium, P. ostreatus and S22, showed high capacity for lignin degradation at pH 9.0-11.0. The addition of 1 g l-1 glucose and 0.2 g l-1 ammonium tartrate was beneficial for the degradation of lignin by the white-rot fungi studied.

Use of biotechnology in pulp bleaching has attracted considerable attention and achieved interesting results in recent years. Enzymes of the hemicellulolytic type, particularly xylan-attacking enzymes, xylanases are now used commercially in the mills for pulp treatment and subsequent incorporation into bleach sequences. The aims of the enzymatic treatment depend on the actual mill conditions and may be related to environmental demands, reduction of chemical costs or maintenance or even improvement of product quality. The use of oxidative enzymes from white-rot fungi, that can directly attack lignin, is a second-generation approach, which could produce larger chemical savings than xylanase but has not yet been developed to the full scale. It is being studied in several laboratories in Canada, Japan, the U.S.A. and Europe. Certain white-rot fungi can delignify kraft pulps increasing their brightness and their responsiveness to brightening with chemicals. The fungal treatments are too slow but the enzyme manganese peroxidase and laccase can also delignify pulps and enzymatic processes are likely to be easier to optimize and apply than the fungal treatments. Development work on laccase and manganese peroxidase continues. This article presents an overview of developments in the application of hemicellulase enzymes, lignin-oxidizing enzymes and white-rot fungi in bleaching of chemical pulps. The basic enzymology involved and the present knowledge of the mechanisms of the action of enzymes as well as the practical results and advantages obtained on the laboratory and industrial scale are discussed.

Bioremediation of wastewaters represents an important treatment methodology, especially when examined against the backdrop of ever-stricter legislation that is evolving in order to regulate effluent release into the environment. It has been reported that bioremediation specifically holds promise in solving environmental problems. Crucial questions surrounding the treatment of effluents include: efficiency of the process, economic feasibility, legal requirements, and the mechanisms involved in the remediation process. Of all these issues mentioned, the last requires special attention. This paper investigates these matters and focuses on techniques that are currently employed to determine the efficiency of bioremediation and mechanisms involved therein. The physiological significance of biosorption is also examined, as this subject has not been fully addressed in previous publications.

Pulp and paper mill effluents pollute water, air and soil, causing a major threat to the environment. Several methods have been attempted by various researchers throughout the world for the removal of colour from pulp and paper mill effluents. The biological colour removal process uses several classes of microorganisms--bacteria, algae and fungi--to degrade the polymeric lignin derived chromophoric material. White rot fungi such as Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Corius versicolor, Trametes versicolor etc., are efficient in decolourizing paper and pulp mill effluents. Gliocladium virens, a saprophytic soil fungus decolourised paper and pulp mill effluents by 42% due to the production of hemicellulase, lignin peroxidase, manganese peroxidase and laccase.

Aims: Attempts were made to immobilize laccase from Panus conchatus., Methods and Results: The laccase was immobilized on carboxylated polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) activated by N-hydroxysuccinimide (N-HSI) in aqueous solution at different pHs, temperatures, and with different reaction times. An optimum condition for laccase immobilization is at pH 3.2, 40 degrees C and 12 h, respectively. Immobilization of laccase increased optimal pH for reaction with 2, 2'-azinobis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-solfonate) (ABTS) and pH stability. Immobilized laccase proved to be reacted consecutively 17 times with only a 50% decrease on activity and be used in removal of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP)., Conclusions: It was possible to immobilize the laccase on carboxylated polyvinyl alcohol by activation with N-hydroxysuccinimide in HAc-NaAc buffer. The immobilized laccase is both stable and reusable. SIGNIFICANCE IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The results indicate that this immobilized laccase can be used in the removal of poisonous effluent from pulp bleaching mills.

Sugarcane bagasse was pretreated with both the white-rot fungus, Ceriporiopsis subvermispora, and xylanase enzyme for 2 weeks before soda chemithermomechanical (CTMP) and soda chemical (CP) cooking. For fungi-CTMP (BCTMP) and enzyme-fungi-CTMP (EBCTMP), the bagasse, after bio-pretreatment, was cooked with 5% sodium hydroxide, at 130 degrees C for 20 min. For the chemical pulping (CP), after fungi pretreatment (BCP) or after xylanase and fungal pretreatment (EBCP), the bagasse was cooked with 14.5% sodium hydroxide. With the BCTMP, the Klason lignin was reduced, all of the pulp strength properties were increased, and a 28% savings in refining energy consumption was obtained, but the brightness was reduced 5 points compared to the control. With the EBCTMP, the brightness losses were overcome but with a mild reduction in the pulp strength properties compared to the BCTMP. The energy savings were 5% greater than from BCTMP and 33% over the control. The BCP treatment increases somewhat the pulp strength properties, reduces the energy consumption 23%, and reduces the brightness by 9 points compared to the control; however, the kappa no. was 5.5 points higher than the control. EBCP treatment reduces brightness losses and increases the pulp yield 2% compared to the control, but with some reduction in the strength properties compared to BCP.

Three of four isolates, representing phylogenetically distinct groupings of low-temperature basidiomycetes (LTB), were capable of utilizing wheat straw, and to a lesser extent conifer wood at 15 degrees C. A cottony snow mould LTB (LRS 013) and a fruit rot LTB (LRS 241) grown on straw significantly degraded filter paper, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), p-nitrophenyl beta-glucopyranoside (i.e., beta-glucosidases), and xylan. Enzymes produced by Coprinus psychromorbidus (LRS 067) were limited to xylanases from straw and wood and beta-glucosidases from wood. A sclerotia-forming LTB (LRS 131) exhibited poor growth on both substrates, and did not produce detectable quantities of extracellular enzymes. None of the LTB isolates tested degraded avicel. The temperature optima of CMCases and xylanases in the filtrates from the straw medium ranged from 25 degrees C to 55 degrees C, and with the exception of LRS 067, significant activity was observed at 5 degrees C. Two cellulases (25 and 31 kDa) and two xylanases (24 and 34 kDa) were observed on zymograms for LRS 013 and 241. Reduction of enzymes with 2-mercaptoethanol adversely affected their activity on zymograms, and an additional cellulase band was observed for non-reduced samples. This study indicates that LTB produce an array of cellulolytic and xylanolytic enzymes, and that some of these enzymes possess low-temperature optima which may facilitate degradation of plant fibre under low-temperature conditions.

Biobleaching of hardwood unbleached kraft pulp (UKP) by Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Trametes versicolor was studied in the solid-state fermentation system with different culture media. In this fermentation system with low-nitrogen and high-carbon culture medium, pulp brightness increased by 15 and 30 points after 5 days of treatment with T. versicolor and P. chrysosporium, respectively, and the pulp kappa number decreased with increasing brightness. A comparison of manganese peroxidase (MnP), lignin peroxidase (LiP), and laccase activities assayed by using fungus-treated pulp and the filtrate after homogenizing the fungus-treated pulp in buffer solution indicated that enzymes secreted from fungi were adsorbed onto the UKP and that assays of these enzyme activities should be carried out with the treated pulp. Time course studies of brightness increase and MnP activity during treatment with P. chrysosporium suggested that it was difficult to correlate them on the basis of data obtained on a certain day of incubation, because the MnP activity fluctuated dramatically during the treatment time. When brightness increase and cumulative MnP, LiP, and laccase activities were determined, a linear relationship between brightness increase and cumulative MnP activity was found in the solid-state fermentation system with both P. chrysosporium and T. versicolor. This result suggests that MnP is involved in brightening of UKP by white rot fungi.