Abstract
Thirty-four identified in addition to five unidentified species appertaining to ten genera of zoosporic fungi were identified and isolated from eighty four polluted water samples, which were randomly collected from different polluted sites of the water drainages along the Niles Delta in Lower Egypt. Baiting sesame seeds culture technique was employed at 20±2º C for the recovery of zoosporic fungi. The genera; <em>Pythium</em> and <em>Saprolegnia</em> (8 and 7 zoosporic fungal species, respectively) showed the broadest spectra of species diversity whereas <em>Aqualinderella</em> was only represented by one species (<em>A. fermentans</em>). <em>Saprolegnia delica</em> and <em>Dictyuchus carpophorus</em> (the greatest fungal populations) were the most dominant isolated zoosporic fungal species where they were highly occurred especially at the hyper-polluted waters with the heavy metals. These two species could be considered as indicators for the response of the structure and function of microbial communities for water pollution. Several zoosporic fungal species were rarely encountered. Both <em>Aqualinderella fermentans</em> and <em>Pythium rostratum</em> were recovered in moderate frequency of occurrence. Water samples which had high concentrations in heavy metals were the poorest in the species diversity of zoosporic fungi. Despite that, fungal species belonging to the family <em>Saprolegniaceae</em> flourished in hyper polluted water samples whilst those belonging to the family <em>Pythiaceae</em> predominated in more diluted water samples. Also, the prevalent species; <em>S. delica</em> and <em>D. carpophorus</em> were not affected by heavy metals concentrations being as indicators for water pollution with the heavy metals. pH values of the polluted water samples had no influence on the occurrence of zoosporic fungi. Water samples characterized by high organic matter content and low total soluble salts were the richest in zoosporic fungal species.
Highlights
Heavy metals pollution has increased over the last few decades through mining, industrial emissions and garbage disposal, and as by-products of agricultural fertilizers (Merian 1991)
The pH values of the polluted water samples, which were collected from different water drainages located in Nile Delta region in Lower Egypt, were in the alkaline side and ranged between 8.36 and 11.15 (Tab. 1)
The results of the simple and multiple correlation analysis showed that the pH value had no role in the biodiversity of the isolated zoosporic fungi
Summary
Heavy metals pollution has increased over the last few decades through mining, industrial emissions and garbage disposal, and as by-products of agricultural fertilizers (Merian 1991). For baiting and recovery of zoosporic fungi, the polluted water samples containing the baits of sesame seeds were poured under aseptic conditions into Petri-dishes (15 cm in diameter). The number of cases of isolation and occurrence remarks of each taxa (genera and species) of zoosporic fungi was calculated from the total number of the tested polluted water samples (84 water samples). They were designed as follows: H= high occurrence; more than 42 samples out of 84 water samples M= moderate occurrence; between 21-42 water samples L= low occurrence; between 10-20 water samples R= rare occurrence; less than 10 samples out of 84 water samples. This statistical analysis was functioned to test the effect of physicochemical characteristics of water samples versus the number of the recovered species of zoosporic fungi in each water sample
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