The potential application of an autochthonous fungus from the northwest of Argentina for treatment of sugarcane vinasse

Abstract Vinasse is a waste material from distillery industries, which causes major environmental problems around the world. Argentina alone produces about 4 billion liters of vinasse annually; consequently, diverse biological eco-friendly treatments are evaluated for their ability to reduce the detrimental effects. The present study reports on the degradation of a 50% (v/v) local vinasse sample by an autochthonous fungus identified as Aspergillus sp. V1. The Bioprocess was conducted for 15 d at 30 °C after inoculation of spores at an end concentration of 1 × 10 6 CFU/mL. Effluent neutralization was detected after 6 d of treatment, with maximum COD and BOD removal after 12 d (49% and 59%, respectively). Effects of vinasse before and after treatment were predicted using Caco-2 cells and Triticum aestivum L. (wheat) seeds as toxicological indicators. Only 13% viability was observed for Caco-2 cells exposed to untreated vinasse, but this percentage increased more than 3-fold for cells exposed to the treated effluent. While vinasse without treatment completely inhibited germination of seeds, exposure to treated effluent demonstrated a germination percentage of 60%. The present study highlights the use of a dual-purpose biotechnological process that aimed at reducing the detrimental effects of vinasse, enhancing its quality for agricultural practices.