MYCOFILTRATION OF SOIL LEACHATE USING Lentinus squarrosulus FOR BIOREMEDIATION OF SOILS FROM AUTO-MOBILE MECHANIC LEACHATE SOILS OF IKOKU MARKET, PORT HARCOURT

Abstract

This study was undertaken to investigate the mycofiltration of soil leachate from automobile repairs and servicing workshop Ikoku, Port Harcourt using Lentinus squarrosulus. To ascertain the contamination levels of the soil, sterilized sawdust was bagged, inoculated with mushroom spawn and allowed for 2 weeks to colonize the substrate. Then water extracted from the soil leachate was dispensed into the hole borne in the middle of the substrate then allowed to filter through into a sterile container which was subjected for physicochemical and microbiological analysis within 24 hours. Statistical analysis of data obtained after a 24-48 hours mycofiltration treatment, revealed a significant (P<0.05) reduction in the concentration of pH, Colour, Turbidity, Electrical conductivity, Total Dissolved Solid, Total Suspended Solid, Nitrite, Nitrate, Phosphate and Chemical Oxygen Demand. Electrical conductivity (µs cm-1) was reduced from 751 to 297, total dissolved solid (mg L-1) from 3.40 to 1.42, total suspended solid (mg L-1) from 2.81 to 1.07, nitrate (mg L-1) from 0.187 to 0.127, phosphate (mg L-1) from 1.04 to 0.72, turbidity level from 1028 to 401, biological oxygen demand (mg L-1) from 4.16 to 0, dissolved oxygen (mg L-1) from 401 to 0 and chemical oxygen demand (mg L-1) from 16.25 to 13.87. L. squarrosulus also exhibited a remarkable reduction in total heterotrophic count and total coliform count, which made it a potential purifying agent. The findings from this study showed that mycofiltration technique is a useful, efficient and affordable technology for removing pollutants from the soil in the automobile repairs and servicing workshop.