The Biofiltration Potentials of a Brewery Effluent Using Two Saprophytic Fungi Species

Abstract

Aims: This research attempts to investigate the effect of a biologically mediated filtration technique {using the mycelia from two saprophytic filamentous fungi – Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus) and Aspergillus niger (A. niger), isolated from the soil} on the physicochemical indices of an Industrial (Brewery) effluent. Study Design: The experiment was conducted in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). In all cases, the value for each data was the mean from 3 replicates. Data were subjected to a one way analysis of variance – ANOVA, while the separation of the means (post Hoc Test) was done using the independent sample T-Test at 1% level of significance. Place of Study: The Study was conducted at different Institutional Laboratories (such as the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi; Environmental Biology Lab., Yaba College of Technology and Chemistry Lab., University of Lagos) in Lagos, Nigeria. Methodology: The effluent samples were analyzed for various physical parameters such as pH, temperature, turbidity, conductivity and Total Dissolved Solids and chemical parameters such as Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Phosphates, Sulphates, Chlorides, Hardness, Alkalinity and Nitrates using standard laboratory techniques and equipment. Results: The results obtained from this work showed that both fungal species were able to bring about a significant (p≤0.01) improvement in most of the physicochemical parameters considered in this Brewery effluent when compared to the unfiltered (Control) effluent samples, as well as against approved benchmarks as provided by some statutory regulatory bodies in Nigeria such as the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) and now defunct Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA). Conclusion: The results from this study shows that A. niger and A. flavus (that were used in this experiment) has some promise at improving some important physicochemical indicators of a poorly treated brewery effluent.