Bioremediation Potentials of <i>Bacillus subtillis</i> and <i>Aspergillus niger</i> on Selected Heavy Metals from Wupa Wastewater Treatment Plant, Abuja

Abstract

Bioremediation is the process of cleaning up the environment with microorganisms, such as fungi and bacteria. These microorganisms  employ processes including biosorption, biodegradation, and bioaccumulation to remediate the waste materials. Potential for bioremediation of heavy metals from wastewater collected from the Wupa wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Abuja was examined  for Aspergillus niger and Bacillus subtilis. Samples were analyzed using standard methods and procedure. The bioremediation potentials  of isolates were assessed on a heavy metal solution, monitored for growth and absorbance. The remediation potential was evaluated  using ultravioletvisible spectrophotometer and microplate reader. Between the influent and effluent, every heavy metal evaluated in the  treated and untreated samples demonstrates a significant difference (p<0.05). The Wupa wastewater treatment plant's mean value for the heavy metals under study varied from 0.31±0.10 mg/L in treated wastewater to 0.37±0.20 mg/L in untreated wastewater. This  indicates a substantial (p<0.05) difference in manganese levels between the influent and effluent. There was a substantial (p<0.05)  difference in the mean iron value between the influent and effluent, ranging from 0.91±0.3 mg/L in the influent to 1.58±0.2 mg/L in the  effluent. The treated and untreated wastewater exhibit a significant difference (p<0.05) in mean value of zinc ranging effluent  wastewater. The findings indicate that Aspergillus niger grew to its maximum with an absorbance of 0.612 ± 0.62 and Bacillus subtilis to  its maximum with an absorbance of 0.729 ± 0.01.The results of this investigation allow us to draw the conclusion that Aspergillus niger and  Bacillus subtillis have the ability to withstand and grow on heavy metals, which helps to remove the metals from wastewater by  absorbing them and increasing the biomass of the microorganisms.