ISSN: 0973-7510

E-ISSN: 2581-690X

Research Article | Open Access
Koly De1,2, Dibyarupa Pal1 , Pranabi Maji3, Soumyabrata Roy1, Barsha Das1 and Souparna Bhowmick1
1Department of Biosciences, JIS University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
2Department of Microbiology, Scottish Church College, Kolkata, India.
3Department of Physics, JIS University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Article Number: 11204 | © The Author(s). 2026
J Pure Appl Microbiol. 2026;20(1):831-847. https://doi.org/10.22207/JPAM.20.1.64
Received: 03 December 2025 | Accepted: 02 February 2026 | Published online: 09 March 2026
Issue online: March 2026
Abstract

The extensive use of synthetic textile dyes raises serious environmental and health concerns due to their toxicity and recalcitrancy. This research investigates the possibility of Luffa sponge (LS), a widely available biodegradable agricultural product, as an immobilization matrix for dye removal. The study focuses on isolation and characterization of dye-degrading bacteria from surface water source which is immobilized on Luffa surface to facilitate dye removal via adsorption and degradation processes. Escherichia fergusonii KD01 and Staphylococcus epidermidis KSD02 are two such isolated and tested dye degrading immobilized strains on LS. The performance of the bacteria individually in suspension culture and immobilized on LS (Bc-LS) was tested under different parameters, shaking or static, contact time (0-8 hrs), pH (4, 6, 8, and 11) and temperatures (24, 37, 42 and 45 °C). The results displayed synergistic effect of physical adsorption and microbial breakdown by Bc-LS surpassing individual bacterial performance and untreated LS. These findings were supported by FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared) which validated the interactions between dye molecules and functional groups on the Bc-LS, while SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) photos showed successful bacterial immobilization on LS after treatment. Furthermore, cytotoxicity and phytotoxicity tests revealed a significant reduction in dye toxicity into less hazardous by-products. Reusability studies demonstrated LS was functional for dye adsorption after five cycles also. These findings display Bc-LS as an effective, long-lasting, and environmentally acceptable material for dye remediation, making it a suitable choice for dye wastewater treatment applications.

Keywords

Luffa Sponge, Dye, Bacteria, Immobilization, Adsorption, Biodegradation, Toxicity

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© The Author(s) 2026. Open Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License which permits unrestricted use, sharing, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.