Oso B. A., Olagunji M. O. and Okiki P. A.
Mycological investigation was carried out on soil samples from different parts of Ado Ekiti, including lands with heavy spillage of used engine oil. The isolated fungi from soil samples were tested for lead tolerance and biosorption. Fungal lead tolerance was determined at 500 – 2000ppm, while lead biosorption was determined at a concentration of 1000ppm with varied pH of 5, 7 and 9. Fungi isolated from engine oil contaminated environments include Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium chrysogenum, Penicilium oxalicum, Aspergillus tamari, Fusarium oxysporum and Penicilium citrinium, while from soil not contaminated with engine oil, Aspergillus tamari, Aspergillus terreus, Penicillium chrysogenum, Trichoderma hazarnium, Fusarium compacticum, Fusarium oxysporum, and Penicillium oxalicum were isolated. All the fungal isolates were resistant to lead up to a concentration of 2g/litre. The result of biosorption varied from species to species and was pH dependent. While extreme pH favoured some of the fungal isolates, Aspergillus tamari and Penicillium oxalicum showed better adsorption at neutral pH i.e. pH 7, while lead bioadsorption increased with pH in the case of P. chrysogenum. At pH 5 and 7 Aspergillus tamari recorded the highest adsorption of 97.2 and 97.1% respectively, while at pH 9 P. chrysogenum showed the highest adsorption of 98%.
