DUAL FILTRATION SYSTEM: INTEGRATION OF PHYSICAL–CHEMICAL AND FUNGAL-BASED BIOLOGICAL FILTERS FOR TEXTILE AND BATIK WASTEWATER TREATMENT

Abstract

Textile and batik wastewater containing synthetic dyes such as brown Naphtol red, green Indigosol, and blue Procion poses serious environmental challenges due to its toxicity and persistence in aquatic ecosystems. Conventional treatment using a physical–chemical method has demonstrated considerable decolorization efficiency, but the effluent remained cloudy because fine particles and dissolved dye residues were not fully removed. In addition, previous studies have highlighted the promising role of fungi in dye degradation, particularly Aspergillus sp. 3, which has shown strong potential for decolorizing synthetic dyes. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a dual filtration system by integrating physical–chemical filtration (cotton fiber, activated carbon, zeolite, sand, gravel) with fungal-based biological treatment using Aspergillus sp.3 in Potato Dextrose Broth (PDB) medium. The experimental method involved treating textile wastewater containing three representative dyes—Naphtol red-brown, Indigosol green, and Procion blue—using physical–chemical filtration alone and physical–chemical filtration combined with Aspergillus sp. 3-based biological filtration. The decolorization percentage was measured spectrophotometrically to assess treatment performance. The results showed a significant improvement in decolorization with the dual filtration system. While physical–chemical filtration alone achieved 98.18% (Naphtol red-brown), 78.09% (Indigosol green), and 66.11% (Procion blue), the integrated system with Aspergillus sp.3 increased decolorization to 99.70%, 99.46%, and 97.73%, respectively. These findings demonstrate that the integration of physical–chemical and fungal-based biological filters, with Aspergillus sp.3 as the biodegradation agent, provides a more effective solution than physical–chemical filtration alone, producing clearer effluent with near-complete dye removal. This dual system has strong potential as a sustainable technology for treating wastewater from the textile and batik industries.