Effect of different concentrations of phenol on growth of some fungi isolated from contaminated soil

Abstract

Phenol concentration in 25 water samples collected from three Egyptian Governorates (El- Gharbia, Kafer El-Sheik and El-Menofia) was assayed. The wastewater collected from El-Mehalla El-Kobra II (El- Gharbia governorate) was the most polluted sample with phenol and was equal to 0.0 88 mg/L. Czapeks medium was the most suitable among the other tested media for the growth of Hormodendrum bergeri, Fusarium oxysporum and Aspergillus flavus var. coulmnaris. However, where they were able to grow in the media containing 0.1 g/100 ml phenol, they failed to grow in the potato dextrose medium (PDA) with 0.14 g/100 ml phenol. On the other hand, the efficiency of Aspergillus ochroceus to grow on phenol was low when compared with H. bergeri, F. oxysporum and A. flavus var. coulmnaris. The growth of H. bergeri, F. oxysporum and A. flavus var. coulmnaris was optimum on the medium that contained 0.1 g/100 ml phenol after 6 days. The addition of a mixture of vitamins (B1 + B6 + B12) at 0.1% (w/v) to Cazpeks medium enhanced the growth of H. bergeri, F. oxysporum and A. flavus var. coulmnaris in the presence of phenol. Growth in the presence of phenol induced some morphological modification in both F. oxysporum and A. flavus var. coulmnaris.

Key words: Phenol, growth, fungi, morphological changes.