Biotreatment of brewery effluents for aquaculture use using autochthonous fungi

Abstract

The potential of reducing environmental impact of untreated brewery effluent was investigated. Although concentrations of pollutants in such effluents are usually considered low and inadvertently discharged into adjacent urban drainage facility, mycoremediation to remove dissolved inorganic nutrients in effluent was conducted with a view for aquaculture use in Uyo metropolis, southeast Nigeria. Raw brewery effluents were obtained and screened for indigenous microbial flora. Autochthonous fungi isolated included Aspergillus niger, Verticillium sp. and Mucor sp. The potential use of isolates as alternative treatment of brewery effluents was analyzed for treated and control groups. Treated group was inoculated with pure colonies of fungi isolates while the control group received no fungi treatment or modification. Both groups were incubated for seven (7) days. Thereafter, the physicochemical parameters of raw and remediated effluents were analysed and compared with National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) and aquaculture standards. Results confirmed suitability of autochthonous fungi isolates in mycoremediation of brewery effluent for aquaculture and irrigation.

Key words: effluent toxicity, industrial pollution, mycoremediation, aquatic ecosystem, Uyo