Ethiopian microbes target dye waste

MEKELLE — Indigenous bacteria taken from wastewater at the Maa Garment and Textile Factory in northern Ethiopia have demonstrated high potential to biodegrade synthetic dyes under realistic mill conditions, according to new research.

The Mekelle University.study, published in open-access journal Scientific Reports, evaluated effluent from the vertically-integrated Maa Garment and Textile Factory, where wastewater showed neutral to slightly alkaline pH but elevated temperatures of up to 38 degrees Celsius and total dissolved solids (TDS) as high as 2,866 milligrams per litre (mg/L).