Jornal Europeu de Biologia Experimental Acesso livre

Abstrato

Bacterial and fungal biosorbents of heavy metals associated with hydrocarbon contaminated rainforest soils of the Niger delta region of Nigeria

Akponah E.

Heavy metal absorption capacities of 43 microbial isolates belonging to seven bacterial and five fungal genera was investigated using initial concentrations of 0.1 and 1.0 (mg/l) of copper, nickel, cobalt, lead and chromium . The bacterial species included Bacillus sp, Norcardia sp, pseudomonas sp, Micrococcus sp, Acinectobacter sp, Alcaligens sp and Serretia sp. The fungal isolates were Aspergillus sp, Rhizopus sp, Penicillium sp, Geotrichum sp, and Fusarium sp. These isolates were obtained from hydrocarbon contaminated soils collected from five mechanic workshops located in Abraka, Warri, Ughelli (Delta State), Kiama (Bayelsa State) and choba (Rivers State) all in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Each of the isolates absorbed the various heavy metals though, to varying extents in the order: Aspergillus sp ≥ Rhizopus sp ≥ Fusarium sp > Penicillium sp > Geotrichum sp ≥ Nocardia sp > Bacillus sp > Pseudomonas sp> Micrococcus sp > Acinectobacter sp > Alcaligens sp > Serretia sp. It was observed that uptake of the respective heavy metal by each test isolate at initial concentration of 1.0 mg/l were significantly higher than at 0.1 mg/l (p = 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in heavy metal uptake among organisms of same genus obtained from the five locations (p = 0.05).