IJSRP, Volume 5, Issue 1, January 2015 Edition [ISSN 2250-3153]
Shazia Iram and Sumera Abrar
Abstract:
Microorganisms play a significant role in bioremediation of heavy metal contaminated soil and wastewater. In this study heavy metal resistant fungi were isolated from the waste water treated soil samples of Hudiara drain, Lahore. The optimum pH and temperature conditions for heavy metal removal were determined for highly tolerant isolates of Aspergillus species along with the initial metal concentration and contact time. Biosorption capacity of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger was checked against Cu (II) and Pb (II) respectively. The optimal pH was 8-9 for A. flavus and 4-5.4 for A. niger, whereas the optimal temperature was 26°C and 37°C respectively. Moreover, the biosorption capacity of A. flavus was 20.75-93.65 mg/g for Cu (II) with initial concentration 200-1400 ppm. On the other hand the biosorption capacity of A. niger for Pb (II) ranged from 3.25-172.25 mg/g with the same range of initial metal concentration. It was also found that equilibrium was maintained after maximum adsorption.