ASSESSMENT OF THE CAPACITY OF ASPERGILLUS FLAVUS AND TRICHODERMA SP IN THE REMOVAL OF HYDROCARBONS AND HEAVY METALS FROM RAW REFINERY EFFLUENT

No Thumbnail Available
Date
2017-09
Authors
AZEEZ, ZAINAB
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
This study assessed the capacity of two fungi AspergillusflavusandTrichodermasp.individually and synergistically to remove hydrocarbon, cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and nickel (Ni), from broth cultures charged with raw refinery effluents. Raw effluent from refinery were collected in 200 ml sample bottle and transported to the laboratory for isolation of AspergillusflavusandTrichodermasp. using Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA). The physicochemical qualities of the raw refinery effluent were investigated using standard methods. The effluent contained very high concentrations of oil and grease (26.42 mg/l), COD (171.2 mg/l), Dissolved solids (592.20 mg/l), Conductivity (866 μs/cm) and phosphate (8.1 mg/l), but low in sulphate(39), nitrate(0.01) and pH(7.52) which were within the permissible limit. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) was determined at intervals of five days for twenty days to assess the capacity of Aspergillusflavusand Trichoderma sp. to remove hydrocarbon from raw refinery effluent using the modified Winkler method. It was observed that the amount of hydrocarbon removed increased from day 0 to day 20. The concentrations of the three metals in the raw refinery effluents and tissues of the test fungi were determined both before and after the mycoremediation studies using Microwave Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrophotometer (MPAES AGILENT 4200). Both the percentage removal as well as the potential of the test isolates to bioaccumulate the metals in their tissues were calculated following standard procedures. It was observed that the two isolates tested could remove from 18 to 29% of Cd, 87 to 95% of Ni and 49 to 79% of Pb. Trichoderma sp. proved to be the most efficient in the removal of the three metals from raw refinery effluent while Aspergillusflavus was consistently the least efficient. It was also observed that co-culture ofAspergillusflavusand Trichoderma sp. proved to be more efficient when compared to Aspergillusflavus alone but less efficient when compared to 9 Trichoderma sp. alone. Trichodermasp had the highest potential to bioaccumulate the metals than Aspergillusflavus. It was therefore concluded thatAspergillusflavusand Trichodermasp. could be employed in the removal of hydrocarbons, Cd, Ni and Pb from heavy metal polluted effluents generated by petroleum refineries and other petro-chemical industries.
Description
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN MICROBIOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF MICROBIOLOGY, FACULTY OF LIFE SCIENCES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA, NIGERIA
Keywords
ASSESSMENT,, ASPERGILLUS FLAVUS,, TRICHODERMA SP,, HYDROCARBONS,, HEAVY METALS,, RAW REFINERY EFFLUENT
Citation
Collections