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The removal of black ink via Emericella quadrilineata as a green alternative technique to recycling ink waste papers

Summary

Researchers discovered that a fungus called Aspergillus quadrilineatus can remove black ink from waste papers, providing an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical-based recycling methods. Under optimal conditions including neutral pH and room temperature, the fungus successfully removed 97% of ink from contaminated papers through a process called biosorption. This natural approach uses enzymes produced by the fungus to break down and remove the ink, making it a cost-effective solution for paper recycling that reduces environmental damage from traditional chemical methods.

Background

Deforestation and environmental degradation from rising paper demand necessitate biological methods for recycling printed waste papers. Traditional deinking procedures use large amounts of chemicals, resulting in contaminated wastewater. Microorganisms including fungi have been observed to remove printing inks and colors effectively.

Objective

To identify, isolate, and characterize Aspergillus quadrilineatus for its ability to remove black ink from waste papers, determine optimal physiological conditions for deinking, and elucidate the underlying mechanisms of ink removal.

Results

Aspergillus quadrilineatus achieved 90% deinking ability among five isolates and reached optimal deinking of 97% under conditions of pH 6, 30°C temperature, 20,000 mg/L ink concentration, and three fungal discs inoculum after 6 days. SEM and FT-IR analyses confirmed the deinking mechanism, and Langmuir adsorption isotherm modeling indicated monolayer surface adsorption. The fungus produced both lipase and xylanase enzymes on agar plates.

Conclusion

Aspergillus quadrilineatus represents a promising green alternative for removing black ink from waste papers with a 97% removal efficiency under optimized conditions. The deinking mechanism involves surface adsorption and enzymatic degradation via lipase and xylanase production. This biological approach offers a cost-effective, environmentally friendly alternative to conventional chemical deinking methods for recycling printed waste papers.
  • Published in:PLoS One,
  • Study Type:Experimental Research,
  • Source: 10.1371/journal.pone.0324022, PMID: 40440606
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