Chromium recycling of tannery waste through microbial fermentation.

An Aspergillus carbonarius isolate, selected from an established microbial culture collection, was used to study the biodegradation of chromium shavings in solid-state fermentation experiments. Approximately 97% liquefaction of the tannery waste was achieved and the liquid obtained from long-term experiments was used to recover chromium. The resulting alkaline chromium sulfate solution was useful in tanning procedures. A proteinaceous liquid was also obtained which has potential applications as a fertilizer or animal feed additive and has several other industrial uses. The A. carbonarius strain proved to be a very useful tool in tannery waste-treatment processes and chromium recovery in the tanning industries.