Abstract
Seven fungal species (1237 colonies/g dry soil) belonging to three genera were isolated from soil sample (pH 8.7, total soluble salts 0.81 mS/cm, organic carbon 0.25%) located in the industrial city at Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah. Such soil receives a long-term application of untreated industrial effluents. The isolated species wereAspergillus candidus, Aspergillus carneus, Aspergillus flavipes, Aspergillus flavus varcolumnaris, Aspergillus unguis, Cephalosporium curtipes and Cylindrophora hoffmannii. Genus Aspergillus, the most dominant, accounted for 95.1% of the total count and was represented by five species. A. candidus was the most prevalent species on the isolation plates (37.2% of the total count) followed by A. flavipes andA.unguis. The isolated fungi were investigated for their potential to remove heavy metals from wastewater effluent of tanning leather industry. Such effluent was alkaline (pH, 8.2) with high content of total soluble salts (30.6 mS/cm) and heavy metals including Pb+2, Cu+2, Fe+3, Mn+2, Cr+6 and Sr+2. The isolated fungi showed significant metal sorption capacity which was species and metal dependent. Almost all the fungi showed more affinity to Pb+2 than Cr+6 and Sr+2. The most dominant A. candidus on the isolation plates exhibited the highest activity for biosorption of heavy metals. The results indicate that fungi of contaminated soils have high level of metal biosorption capacities. Key words: Fungi, industrial wastewater, biosorption, heavy metals.
Highlights
Heavy metals are severe pollutants released into the environment and can inhibit biological activity, especially at higher concentrations, with the sensitivity being species dependent (Means and Hinchee, 1994)
The present results reveal that the wastewater of leather industry under investigation was alkaline and saline with total soluble salts of 30.6 mS/cm and loaded with heavy metals where the highly quantities were recorded by Sr2+ followed by Cr6+ (320.3 and 154.0 ppm, respectively)
The amount of heavy metals in the present wastewater was notably higher than that recorded in the leather tannery industrial wastewater obtained from leather industry plant in the south of Germany
Summary
Seven fungal species (1237 colonies/g dry soil) belonging to three genera were isolated from soil sample (pH 8.7, total soluble salts 0.81 mS/cm, organic carbon 0.25%) located in the industrial city at Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah. Such soil receives a long-term application of untreated industrial effluents. The isolated fungi were investigated for their potential to remove heavy metals from wastewater effluent of tanning leather industry Such effluent was alkaline (pH, 8.2) with high content of total soluble salts (30.6 mS/cm) and heavy metals including Pb+2, Cu+2, Fe+3, Mn+2, Cr+6 and Sr+2.
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