A new application of bacterial cellulose in textiles and fashion: using Kombucha-derived biofilm to remove dye from polluted water

The fashion and textile industries face mounting pressure to adopt sustainable practices due to their environmental impacts, including waste generation and water pollution from dyeing. Bacterial cellulose, a renewable, biodegradable material produced via microbial fermentation, offers a promising solution. While bacterial cellulose has been explored as a sustainable textile material in fashion apparel, this study introduces its potential for removing synthetic dyes from dyehouse wastewater. Dyeing processes produce wastewater contaminated with synthetic dyes, which are toxic, persistent, and bio accumulative, posing ecological risks. Bacterial cellulose's nanofibrillar structure makes it effective for capturing liquid contaminants through chemical bonding and physical trapping. Using a microbial consortium (Kombucha), bacterial biofilms were developed over 30 days in either black tea and sugar or Hestrin and Schramm medium. They were then immersed in dye-polluted water. Kombucha-derived bacterial cellulose biofilms reduced dye colour intensity by over 79% for acid blue and 63% for reactive navy, with the most effective results from biofilms developed in black tea containing active microbes. Results indicate that the microbial consortium in the Kombucha-derived pellicle may have a role in removing colour pollution from dyestuff wastewater, thereby presenting a sustainable pathway for addressing key environmental challenges in fashion and textile industries.