Decolorization of Remazol Blue by Indigenous Bacteria Isolated from Textile Effluent

Reactive synthetic dyes, particularly Remazol Blue, are widely used in the textile industry and contribute to significant aquatic pollution when discharged untreated. This study aimed to isolate and evaluate indigenous bacteria from textile effluent for their ability to decolorize Remazol Blue. A total of 66 bacterial isolates were obtained and screened on Mineral Salt Medium supplemented with 200 ppm dye. Six isolates demonstrated decolorization efficiencies ranging from 30–41% at 200 ppm. These isolates were subsequently combined into a consortium and tested at increasing dye concentrations (200, 400, and 600 ppm). The consortium achieved maximum decolorization of 41.2% at 200 ppm after 96 hours, while lower efficiencies were observed at 400 ppm (18.3%) and 600 ppm (17.1%). The findings highlight the potential application of indigenous bacteria for the biological treatment of textile dye effluents and provide a basis for further optimization and scale-up studies.