Coupling chemical oxidation processes and Leptosphaerulina sp. myco-remediation to enhance the removal of recalcitrant organic pollutants in aqueous systems

Highlights: • A new coupling chemical oxidation/fungus action tested to mineralize organic matter. • Refractory pollutant (CV, 200 and 50 mg L⁻¹) inhibited fungus growth and enzymes production. • Photocatalysis, sonochemistry and electrochemistry were efficient to degrade CV. • Chemical degradation transformed CV but complete mineralization was no reached. • Three chemical oxidation process/fungus couplings promising for water treatment This research evaluated for the first time, the coupling of chemical oxidation processes with Leptosphaerulina sp. (a Colombian fungus), to degrade a refractory pollutant. For such purpose, a model contaminant (crystal violet, CV) was considered. Initially, the pollutant, at high concentrations (i.e., 200 and 50 mg L⁻¹), was submitted to the fungus action. However, the CV inhibited the growth and enzymatic production of the fungus. Then, three chemical oxidation processes: TiO₂-photocatalysis, sonochemistry, or electrochemistry (with a Ti/IrO₂ anode in sodium chloride) were used as treatments previous to the myco-remediation. These oxidative treatments led to the pollutant degradation (~100%) by the action of radicals or active chlorine species, but they showed low mineralization. Indeed, the total organic carbon removal (TOC) was 54, ~15, and 31% to TiO₂-photocatalysis (after 12 h), sonochemistry (after 12 h), and electrochemistry (after 1.33 h), respectively. Thus, the resultant solutions from the chemical oxidations were submitted to the action of Leptosphaerulina sp. (this time effective fungus growth and enzymes production were observed). It was found that the TOC removals by the fungus were 87, 84, and 83% for solutions pre-treated by TiO₂-photocatalysis (12 h), sonochemical (12 h), and electrochemical (1.33 h) treatments, respectively. Regarding the enzymatic production, TiO₂-photocatalysis/Leptosphaerulina sp., ultrasonication/Leptosphaerulina sp., and electrochemical oxidation/Leptosphaerulina sp. combinations reached the highest activities of laccase (0.6 U mg⁻¹, at day 15), manganese peroxidase (1.35 U mg⁻¹, at day 7) and versatile peroxidase (1.72 U mg⁻¹, at day 15), respectively. The results from this work evidence feasibility of the pre-treatment with chemical oxidation processes as a strategy to enhance Leptosphaerulina sp. action toward recalcitrant organic pollutants (as CV) in water.