Bioremediation of PCP by Trichoderma and Cunninghamella Strains Isolated from Sawdust

Four fungal isolates, SD12, SD14, SD19 and SD20 isolated from the aged sawdust grew on agar plates supplemented with PCP up to a concentration of 100 mg L-1. At high PCP concentration, isolate SD12 showed the highest radial growth rate of 10 mm day-1, followed by SD14 and SD19 both with 4.5 mm day-1 and SD20 with 4.2 mm day-1. Ultrastructural study on the effect of PCP on the PCP tolerant fungi using scanning electron microscope showed that high concentration of PCP caused the collapse of both fungal hyphae and spores. Among the four PCP tolerant fungi examined, isolate SD12 showed the least structural damage at high PCP concentration of 100 mg L-1. This fungal isolate was further characterized and identified as Cunninghamella sp. UMAS SD12. Preliminary PCP biodegradation trial performed in liquid minimal medium supplemented with 20 mg L-1 of PCP using Cunninghamella sp. UMAS SD12 showed that the degradation up to 51.7% of PCP in 15 days under static growth condition

INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON THE RATE OF DRYING MOISTURE AND CYANIDE CONTENTS OF CASSAVA CHIPS USING OVEN DRYING PROCESS

This research was aimed at investigating the effect of temperature on the rate of drying moisture and cyanide contents of cassava chips using oven drying process. Five varieties of raw cassava (Manihot Esculenta, Crantz) namely TMS 98/0510, TME 419, TMS 97/2205, NR 87184 and TMS 96/1632 were harvested at twelve (12) months after planting (MAP) from the experimental plots of the Enugu State College of Agriculture and Agro-Entrepreneurship Iwollo-Ezeagu Enugu, Nigeria. For each of the varieties 2kg of tubers were processed. The results from the research showed that processing of the cassava tubers into dried cassava chips using oven process resulted in an acceptable level of moisture and cyanide contents which were in conformity with the compositional requirements for dried cassava chips. The graph showed that higher the temperature, the faster the rate of drying of the chips. Moreover, the drying rates, moisture and cyanide contents were affected by the drying temperatures