The Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology provides rapid publication of peer-reviewed articles describing significant advances and discoveries in the fields of air, soil, water, and food contamination and pollution as well as articles on methodology and other disciplines concerned with the introduction, presence and effects of toxicants in the total environment.  With its high standards of scientific quality and clarity, the Bulletin provides a meeting ground for research workers who daily encounter problems related to the contamination of our environment and who welcome opportunities to share in new discoveries as soon as they are made.

Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology

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Toxicity of Spent Phone Batteries on Microflora in Marine, Brackish and Freshwater Ecosystems

Analysis of soil chemical parameters of an uncleaned crude oil spill site at Biara was carried out. Soil samples were collected at 0 -15 cm and 15 – 30 cm soil depths from both polluted and unpolluted sites for analysis. Significant increase in high total hydrocarbon content (1015±80.5 – 1150±90.1 mg/kg) in polluted site was observed as against 31.5±27.9 – 67±26.1 mg/kg of the unpolluted site. There were reductions in soil conductivity (6.7±0.3 – 7.0±0.6 μS/cm), nitrate (23.04±0.98 – 25.92±4.7 mg/kg) and phosphate (9.63±1.38 – 11.04±3.6 mg/kg) in polluted soil compared with 11.7±0.3 – 12.3±0.9 μS/cm, 61.76±5.4 – 111.3±7.6 mg/kg, and 19.28±2.7 – 20.6±6.3 mg/kg respectively in the unpolluted site. Results also showed pH ranged from 5.13±0.07 to 5.43±0.09, total organic carbon from (0.86±0.11% to 1.0±0.05%) and total organic matter from (1.49±0.11% to 1.71±0.05%) with no significant difference between polluted and unpolluted sites. Therefore, it was concluded that oil spill altered soil chemical properties of the polluted soil. Therefore, clean up of the impacted site should be undertaken. Keywords : Soil, Pollution, Hydrocarbon, Biara, Crude oil.

Analysis of soil chemical parameters of an uncleaned crude oil spill site at Biara, Gokana L.G.A. of Rivers State, Nigeria

Comparative Ecotoxicological Assay of E- waste (Phone Batteries) on Some Aquatic Micro Flora

Aims: The purpose of this study was to isolate and screen soil fungi that are able to tolerate the contents of spent deep cycle battery (inverter), and to test for their bioremediation potential. Place and Duration of Study: Sample: Department of Microbiology, Rivers State University, between June 2019 and February 2020. Methodology: Soil samples were collected from a mechanic village while spent inverter batteries were obtained from a waste vendor. The battery was forced open to extract its contents of the battery. Using standard microbiological techniques, fungi were enumerated and characterized. Stock solution of the battery content was prepared by dissolving the inverter battery content in sterile deionized water. This stock solution was used to carry out the screening test on the fungal isolates to ascertain the fungi that can tolerate the contents of the spent battery. Results: Total heterotrophic fungal counts for the polluted and unpolluted soil were 6.0 x 10 cfu/g and 7.5 x 10 4 cfu/g respectively. The fungal isolates identified from the polluted soil samples were members of the genera Rhizopus, Mucor, Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Candida, while, the isolates identified from the unpolluted soil sample includes: Candida sp, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium sp, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Mucor sp, Yeast, Fusarium sp and Aspergillus sp. After Original Research Article Douglas et al.; SAJRM, 8(1): 34-46, 2020; Article no.SAJRM.62224 35 the screening, total heterotrophic fungal counts for the soil ranged from 1.0 x 10cfu/g to 9.5 x 10 2 cfu/g. Two fungi of the genera: Rhizopus and Mucor had the highest counts during 72 hours of incubation for the screening test. The results obtained from this study indicated that species of Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Candida were the most inhibited by the contents of the spent battery while Rhizopus and Mucor spp were more tolerant to the contents of the inverter. Rhizopus and Mucor spp were therefore, adopted in the bioremediation of soil contaminated with contents from the battery. It was observed that Rhizopus and Mucor spp in a consortium had the highest percentage of heavy metal removal (or uptake) in the following order: Cadmium (66.66%) > Lead (38.15%) > Zinc (26.83%) > Nickel (20.83). Conclusion: These organisms can be used in the bioremediation of soil polluted with metals from spent deep cycle batteries.

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S. I. Douglas

Papers

Tolerance of Some Soil Fungi to the Content of Deep Cycle Battery and Their Bioremediation Potential