Answer from the Neighborhood: Sustainable Treatment of Textile Industry Effluent Using Native Biopurifiers from Industrial Discharge Vicinity

Textile industry effluents (TIE) contain mixtures of dyes, fibers, heavy metals, carcinogens, and other recalcitrant pollutants, posing threats to aquatic life and human health. The present study evaluated an integrated bioremediation approach combining the native macrophyte Ludwigia adscendens with the native microalgae consortium ( Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus dimorphus, Scenedesmus quadricauda, and Oocystis marssonii ) to treat real TIE in Manpur, Gaya, India. The untreated TIE exceeded the permissible limits for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), lead, and cadmium, releasing harmful organic compounds into nearby water bodies. The integrated treatment system of L. adscendens and microalgae consortium showed degradation of dye compounds, significantly reducing color (86.84%), BOD (90.67%), COD (88.9%), nitrate (61.92%), phosphates (87.63%), and heavy metals (83.8% lead, 69.3% chromium, 75.8% cadmium, and 89.4% copper), outperforming monotreatment systems ( L. adscendens or microalgae consortium alone). A toxicity test using the zooplankton Ceriodaphnia sp. revealed significantly higher survival in the treated TIE by the integrated treatment system than in mono treatment systems or in untreated effluent. This study demonstrates the potential of integrated systems of native macrophyte ( L. adscendens ) and microalgae for sustainable TIE treatment and bioresource generation, recommending their adoption in TIE-affected areas.