International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences |
ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 2 Number 9 (2013) pp. 328-340 |
The Effect of Temperature on Nutrient Removal from Wastewater by
Selected Fungal Species |
Akpor OB1, Adelani-Akande, TA1 and Aderiye BI1,2 |
1Microbiology Unit, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Engineering,
Landm,
Ark University, Omu Aran, Kwara State, Nigeria
2Department of Microbiology, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria
*Corresponding author e-mail: akpor.oghenerobor@lmu.edu.ng |
ABSTRACT |
The main goal of wastewater treatment is to safeguard the environment by
preventing the pollution of receiving water bodies. This study was aimed at
investigating the effect of temperature in nutrient removal by four test fungal
species (Fusarium sp, Absidia sp, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus) in
synthetic wastewater at different incubation temperatures of 25oC, 30oC, 35oC and
40°C. After inoculation with each test isolate, aliquot samples were taken prior
inoculation and every 24 h, for 96 h for the estimation of phosphate, nitrate and pH
in the wastewater, using standard procedures. After 96 h incubation, the percentage
phosphate concentration removal ranged between 29.17 %-36.17 %, 26.17 %-35.75
%, 8.01 %-37.94 % and 11.19 %-42.65 %, in the presence of the Fusarium sp,
Absidia sp, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus, respectively. Optimum
temperature for phosphate removal was observed at 30°C -40°C. After 96 h
incubation at 25oC, the phosphate concentration was very high with most of
the isolates. In the case of nitrate, highest removals of 42.89 % and 82.07 % were
obtained at 35°C in the presence of the Fusarium sp and Aspergillus flavus. In the
presence of the Absidia sp and the Aspergillus niger, maximum removals of 21.21
% and 30.59 %, respectively were observed at 25°C, after 96 h incubation. The
study was revealed the effect of temperature in the removal of phosphate and
nitrate from wastewater by the test fungal species. |
Keywords |
Temperature,
nitrate and
phosphate
removal;
wastewater;
fungi |