Bioreduction of Heavy Metals Concentration from Tannery Polluted Soil by Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus aculeatus
Y. B. Abdullahi *
Department of Basic Science and General Studies, Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
A. H. Ridwan
Department of Basic Science and General Studies, Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
A. H. Zainab
Department of Basic Science and General Studies, Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
S. S. D. Mohammed
Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences, Nile University of Nigeria, FCT, Abuja, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Reduction of Heavy metals content from the polluted soil by tanneries in sokoto metropolitan using slurry of fungi A. aculeatus, A. niger and co-slurry of both was evaluated. Heavy metal Cu, Fe, Zn, Cd, Pb, Ni, and Cr content was determined in duplicate using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) up to 12 weeks. The reduction mean ranged was 6.51-9.09 mg/kg, 3.57-9.33 mg/kg and 2.12-10.12 mg/kg Cu for fungi carrying A. aculeatus, A. niger and co-slurry respectively while Cd, Ni and Pb were removed in all the setup. Chromium was decreased most especially in the co-slurry of both fungi 22.10-113.25 mg/kg. Meanwhile, Heavy metal contents in all the setups were different from the control. The study reveals local tanneries utilized many synthetic chemicals for use in their production which becomes detrimental to our soil environment.
Keywords: Heavy metals, fungi, soil, tanneries, reduction