Comparative Phosphorus Removal Capabilities of Eurotium Herbarorium and Clostridium Species on Nigeria’S Agbaja Iron Ore

Abstract

A study of phosphorus removal capabilities of Eurotium herbaroriumand Clostridium species from Nigeria’s Agbaja iron ore was carried out. Iron ore sample was crushed, sievedto obtain0.50 mm/0.25 mmparticle size distribution and cultured with mineral oil medium to facilitate microbial growth. Fungi and bacteria that concurrently grew weresubcultured in Sabouard dextrose agar and nutrient agar solutions that support fungal and bacterial growth, respectively,andcharacterized using standard procedures.Ore was exposed to these microbes to effect phosphorus removal in standard media and later analyzed at weekly interval using the standard volumetric ammonium phosphomolybdate method. The fermentation broth media were analyzed for iron, copper, cadmium, zinc, nickel, manganese and lead using the atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The microorganisms markedly removed phosphorus from the ore with 61.48% and 69.20%, respectively. For the funguspH remained in the acidic region and basic for the bacterium. Trace elements analyses of the initial and final orecontaining media recorded marked reduction in the concentration of these elements. A plausible explanation that is supported by literature is that the microorganisms accumulated them. This probably accounts for the drastic decrease in fungal biomass and bacterial density with the concomitant decrease in phosphorus removal observed towards the end.