Alkylsulphatase Activity of Fungi Isolated from Rivers Contaminated with Surfactants in Akure, Nigeria

Aims: To isolate, characterize and identify surfactant degrading fungi from selected rivers in Akure, Nigeria and also to compare and quantify the biodegrading potentials of each of the fungal isolates.

Place and Duration of Study: Akure metropolis, Ondo state, Nigeria, between March and September, 2014.

Methodology: Surfactant degrading fungi were isolated from the water samples by supplementing culture media with test surfactant. The fungi isolated were later subjected to the alkylsulphatase enzyme assay to quantify their various enzyme production/activity.

Results: The total fungi count of the water samples was within the range of 5.00±1.15x102 sfu/ml to 11.00 ± 1.73 x102 sfu/ml. Surfactant degrading fungi count was within the range of 6.0 ± 0.11 x101 sfu/ml to 1.20 ± 0.05 x 102 sfu/ml. Penicillium italicum and Trichoderma viridae were able to produce more of the alkylsulphatase enzyme amongst the isolated surfactant degrading fungi.

Conclusion: It can be concluded that the set of fungi isolated from the selected aquatic environments are capable of carrying out biodegradation of surfactants and that they are abundant in the selected environments. Penicillium italicum and Trichoderma viridae have higher biodegrading potentials and they can be exploited in the bioremediation of water bodies polluted with surfactants.