Bioremediation of Sugarcane Vinasse by Fungi-Based Biological Methods

Abstract

Fungi-based biological methods serve as pretreatment methods of vinasse aimed at reducing acidity level and the initial organic load of the residue, making it more suitable for subsequent anaerobic digestion. The extraordinary capacity of fungi to digest complex waste materials such as vinasse is because they possess nonspecific enzymes that allow the degradation of recalcitrant compounds. Nevertheless, providing rapid and reliable tests to monitor the quality of the treated vinasse is essential to ensure the efficiency of any applied method. This chapter describes the experimental procedure used at the laboratory scale for sugarcane vinasse treatment by using filamentous fungi. Two toxicity tests used to predict the effectiveness of these treatments are also described.