Identification of fungi originated from soil polluted by Dichloro Diphenyl Trichloroethane (DDT)

Abstract

Since the last twenty years Merdeka Village in Merdeka Subdistrict, Tanah Karo District, Indonesia had been the centre of horticultural plant production for the North Sumatra Province. Insecticide commonly used by farmers in this area was of organochloric active ingredient, namely Dichloro Diphenyl Trichloroethane (DDT).The DDT was an insecticide that was degraded very difficultly by the soil, was toxic and persistent in the soil for decades. This insecticide caused changes in soil microbiology, including fungi. Soil sampling using a soil drill at a depth of 0-20 cm with a diagonal sampling method of 45 sample points. Subsequently the soil samples were taken to the Pesticide Laboratory at the North Sumatra Plantation Seed Germination Center for extraction using the Quechers Tube Method using three material variables, namely sodium acetate (Na-acetate), primary secondary amine (PSA) and octadecylsilane (C18) with Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed that DDT derivatives were found in B o’p’DDD soil at the amount of 1.6 μgKg-1, and at C o’p’DDD soil at 2.2 μgKg-1. The DDT residues in both locations B and C were classified as dangerous because they exceeded the DDT standard of 0.7 μgKg-1 dry soil which refered to the Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines (CCME). Soil samples containing five grams of DDT residue were then isolated and fungi growing on the soil were identified. Identification of fungi showed that Mucor sp, Fusarium sp and Trichophyton sp were found.