Abstract
The biosorption of copper oxychloride fungicide particulates(∼1 μm diameter), at concentrations ranging from 25 to 500 ppm active ingredient (ai), by pelleted mycelium of Aspergillus niger grown on Czapek Dox medium was evaluated. The concentration of the fungicide adsorbed to the mycelium, remaining suspended or solubilized in the medium, was determined by analysis of its copper content (CuF)using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). 2-day-old pellets exhibited highbiosorption efficiency ranging from 97 ± 1.0 to 88 ± 1.2% of the initially added fungicide concentrations, respectively, within 10 min. However, underthe same conditions, amounts of the removed fungicide by 6-day-old mycelial pellets were significantly lower and ranged from 0.5 ± 0.03 to 0.15 ± 0.01%. Scanning electron microscopy studies of 2-day-old pellets supplemented with thefungicide revealed predominant aggregations of clumps and dense particulates on the hyphal tips. The adsorbed CuF of 125 ppm ai fungicide subsequently decreased from 7.5 ± 0.5 to 2.1 ± 0.1 μmol Cu (mg dry wt)-1 after 12 h incubation. Simultaneously, the soluble portion of CuF remaining in the medium increased from 0.9 ± 0.6 to4.9 ± 0.2 μmol Cu ml-1. The presence of 50 mM CaCl2 resulted in a decrease of the adsorbed CuF to 3.5 ± 0.5 μmol Cu (mg dry wt)-1 and solubilizedcopper in the medium increased to 5.9 ± 0.8 μ mol Cu ml-1. Additionally, the cellular copper contents attained after 2 h were 0.08 ± 0.01 and 0.16 ± 0.007 μmol Cu (mg dry wt)-1 in absence and presence of calcium, respectively. The addition of calcium to glucose-starved pellets greatly increased the medium [H+] which was conclusively discussed in relation to Ca2+/H+ exchangecapacity of the fungal cells. These results are of potential environmental,biotechnological and agricultural importance.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Avery SV (1995) Microbial interactions with cesium: Implications forbiotechnology. J. Chem. Technol. Biotechnol. 62: 3-16
De Rome L & Gadd GM (1991) Use of pelleted and immobilized yeast and fungal biomass for heavy metal and radionuclide recovery. J. Indust. Microbiol. 7: 97-104
Franz A, Burgstaller W & Schinner F (1991) Leaching with Penicillium simplicissimum: Influence of metals and buffers on proton extrusion and citric acid production. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 57: 769-774
Gadd GM & White C (1989) Heavy metal and radionuclide accumulation and toxicity in fungi and yeasts. In: Poole RK & Gadd GM (Eds) Metal-microbe interactions (pp 19-38). IRL Press, Oxford
Gharieb MM (1999) Interactions of gypsum with the tolerance of Aspergillus niger to certain heavy metals. Proceedings of 6th International Conference for Union of the Arab Biologists, Cairo, Egypt
Gharieb MM & Gadd GM (1999) Influence of nitrogen source on the solubilization of natural gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) and the formation of calcium oxalate by different oxalic and citric acid producing fungal strains. Mycolog. Res. 103: 473-481
Gharieb MM, Wilkinson SC & Gadd GM (1995) Reduction of selenium oxyanions by unicellular polymorphic and filamentous fungi: cellular location of reduced selenium and implications for tolerance. J. Indust. Microbiol. 14: 300-311
Gomes NC & Linardi VR (1996) Removal of gold, silver and copper by living and non living fungi from leach liquor obtained from the gold mining industry. Revista De Microbiologica 27: 218-222
Hassall KA (1990) The biochemistry and uses of pesticides: structure, metabolism, mode of action and uses in crop protection. Macmillan Press Ltd, London
Hughes MN & Poole RK (1989) Metals, microorganisms and biotechnology. In: Metals and micro-organisms (pp 303-358). Chapman and Hall, London, New York
Hughes MN & Poole RK (1991) Metal speciation and microbial growth-the hard and soft facts. J. Gen. Microbiol. 137: 725-734
Karamushka VI & Gadd GM (1994) Influence of copper on proton efflux from Saccharomyces cerevisia and the protective effect of calcium and magnesium. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 122: 33-38
Kubicek CP & Rohr M (1986) Citric acid fermentation. Crit. Rev. Biotechnol. 3: 331-373
Leuf E, Prey T & Kubieek CP (1991) Biosorption of zinc by fungal mycelial wastes. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 34: 688-692
Mchale AP & Mchale S (1994) Microbial biosorption of metals-potential in the treatment of metal pollution. Biotechnol. Advan. 12: 647-652
Morley GF & Gadd GM (1995) Sorption of toxic metals by fungi and clay minerals. Mycolog. Res. 99: 1429-1438
Morley GF, Sayer JA, Wilkinson SC, Gharieb MM & Gadd GM (1996) Sequestration, mobilization and transformation of metals and metalloids. In: Frankland JC, Magan N & Gadd GM (Eds) Fungi and environmental change (pp 235-256). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Raper KB & Fennel D (1977) The genus Aspergillus. Williams and Wilkens Co., Baltimore
Sayer JA & Gadd GM (1997) Solubilization and transformation of insoluble inorganic metal compounds to insoluble metal oxalates by Aspergillus niger. Mycolog. Res. 101: 653-661
Schinner F & Burgstaller W (1989) Extraction of zinc from industrial waste by a Penicillium sp. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 55: 1153-1156
Singleton I, Edyvean RG (1990) Some factors influencing the adsorption of particulates by fungal mycelium. Biorecovery 1: 271-289
Slayman CL, Kaminski P & Stetson D (1990) Structure and function of fungal plasma membrane ATPase. In: Kuhn PJ, Trinci AP, Jung MJ, Goosey MW & Copping LG (Eds) Biochemistry of cell walls and membranes in fungi (pp 299-316). Springer-Verlag KG, Berlin
Tomlin C (1995) The Pesticide Manual: Incorporating the Agrochemicals Handbook. Crop protection publications. The Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge
Tsezos M (1986) Adsorption by microbial biomass as a process for removal of ions from process or waste solutions. In: Eccles H & Hunt S (Eds) Immobilization of ions by biosorption (pp 201-218). Ellis Horwood, Chichester
Tsezos M & Volesky B (1982) The mechanism of uranium biosorption by Rhizopus arrhizus. Biotechnol. Bioengineer. 24: 385-401
Volesky B & Holan ZR (1995) Biosorption of heavy metals. Biotechnol. Prog. 11: 235-250
Wainwright M (1992) Fungi in environmental biotechnology. In: Wainwright M (Ed) An Introduction to fungal biotechnology (pp 81-101). John Wiley and Sons, New York
Wainwright M & Grayston SJ (1989) Accumulation and oxidation of metal sulphides by fungi. In: Poole RK & Gadd GM (Eds) Metal microbe interactions (pp 119-130). IRL Press, Oxford
Wainwright M, Grayston SJ & De Jong PM (1986) Adsorption of insoluble compounds by mycelium of the fungus Mucor flavus. Enzyme and Microbial Technol. 8: 597-600
White C & Gadd GM (1990) Biosorption of radionuclides by fungal biomass. J. Chem. Tech. Biotechnol. 49: 331-343
Zhou JL (1999) Zn biosorption by Rhizopus arrhizus and other fungi. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 51: 686-693
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gharieb, M.M. Biosorption and solubilization of copper oxychloride fungicide by Aspergillus niger and the influence of calcium. Biodegradation 13, 191–199 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020839320157
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020839320157