Journal of Biotechnology & Biomaterials
Open Access

Abstract

Czapek Dox Agar was used to isolate fungi from diesel-contaminated and uncontaminated soils .Biodegradation assay was carried out on the fungal isolates using Bushnell Hass medium supplemented with fossil diesel and biodiesel. Residual oil was extracted with methanol and analyzed with Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR).The fungi species isolated belong to the genera Aspergillus and Penicillium. For the FT-IR analysis, a reduction in wavenumber of the C=O bond [wavenumber (n) =1739 cm-1] in biodiesel indicated degradation while a reduction in wavenumber of C=C bond (n=1632-1647 cm-1), C-H bond (n=2854-2954 cm-1), bending NH4 + bond (n=1377-1457 cm-1), stretching NH4 + bond (n=3305-3273 cm-1) and SO4 2- bond (n=699-1033 cm-1)in fossil diesel indicated degradation. Penicillium corylophilum completely reduced the wavenumber of C=O bond in biodiesel while Aspergillus flavus reduced the wavenumber of C=O bond to 1710 cm-1. Aspergillus candidus, however, showed no reduction in wavenumber. For fossil diesel, A. flavus reduced the wavenumber of all the bonds present. A. candidus reduced the wavenumber of all the bonds except SO4 2-bond which was reduced to 659 cm-1. P.corylophilum reduced the wavenumber of stretching NH4 + bond completely and C=C bond to 1604cm-1. There was no reduction in wavenumber for C-H and bending NH4 + bonds. A. flavus showed the highest potential for fossil diesel degradation while P. corylophilum showed the highest potential for biodiesel degradation. It is concluded that fungi possess potential for biodiesel and fossil diesel degradation and can be employed in the remediation of areas contaminated by these pollutants.

Biography

Adeyemo, Omobolaji Joseph is a budding Microbiologist who had his B.Sc. (Hons) in Microbiology at the age of 24 years from the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria, and West Africa. He is at the verge of completion of his M.Sc. in Environmental Microbiology from the same institution. He has a journal to his credit from his first degree work titled In-vitro Antimicrobial Properties of Brideliaferruginea on some Clinical Isolates 2010.