Investigations were carried out to determine the composition of fungal flora in
the studied sites. Samples of the raw effluent were collected along the flow channel and the
retention pond. Water samples were also collected at the discharge point and up and down
stream of the river from the discharge point. The samples were spinned at a speed of 250rpm for
10minutes and spread inoculated the deposits on potato carrot agar (PCA) and potato agar
supplemented with 7.5% Nacl. Inoculated plates were incubated aerobically at room
temperature in dark cupboard for 7days. Fungal colonies that emerged on the primary culture
plates were distinguished into types. The pure isolates were characterized into genera using
standard taxonomic guides. Genera such as
Aspergillus
,
Penicillium
,
Curvularia
,
Fusarium
,
Microsporum
,
Trichoderma
,
Rhizoctonia
,
Nigrospora
and
Chaetophoma
species were detected
in the raw effluent. However,
Microsporum,
Trichoderma,
Rhizoctonia,
Nigrospora and
Chaetophoma species were conspicuously absent in the effluent retention pond. Only
Trichoderma and
Chaetophoma species were absent in water samples collected at the treated
effluent discharge point into the recipient River. Samples of water collected up stream of the
discharge point did not contain
Geotrichum
,
Nigrospora and
Chaetophoma species.
Curvularia,
Microsporum,
Rhizoctonia and
Nigrospora species were not detected in water samples collected
downstream of the discharge point. It was therefore concluded that, fungi constitute a significant
proportion of the microflora of sites contaminated with the refinery effluent and could be
playing an important role in the remediation of sites receiving the effluent.
