Bioreduction of Heavy Metals Concentration from Tannery Polluted Soil by Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus aculeatus

Reduction of Heavy metals content from the polluted soil by tanneries in sokoto metropolitan using slurry of fungi A. aculeatus, A. niger and co-slurry of both was evaluated. Heavy metal Cu, Fe, Zn, Cd, Pb, Ni, and Cr content was determined in duplicate using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) up to 12 weeks. The reduction mean ranged was 6.51-9.09 mg/kg, 3.57-9.33 mg/kg and 2.12-10.12 mg/kg Cu for fungi carrying A. aculeatus, A. niger and co-slurry respectively while Cd, Ni and Pb were removed in all the setup. Chromium was decreased most especially in the co-slurry of both fungi 22.10-113.25 mg/kg. Meanwhile, Heavy metal contents in all the setups were different from the control. The study reveals local tanneries utilized many synthetic chemicals for use in their production which becomes detrimental to our soil environment.