MICROBIAL DIVERSITY AND FUNGAL IDENTIFICATION IN SOIL SAMPLES FROM WASTE DUMPSITES IN PORT HARCOURTAQUACULTURE IN NIGERIA

This study was conducted to survey and identify fungi associated with Eagle cement dumpsite, Rumuolumeni, Port Harcourt. Soil samples were taken from the two waste-dump sites at different points. Soil samples were taken into different clean nylon bags and taken for culture on sterile and freshly prepared Plate Count Agar (PCA). All techniques were carried-out under manufacturers’ instructions standard laboratory conditions. The inoculation was done in triplicate and recorded as average total viable fungi in the soil sample. Four (4) Fungi were isolated, characterised, and identified from Eagle cement dumpsites. The fungi identified were Aspergillus flavus, A. Niger, Penicillium spp., and Fusarium spp of all the organisms isolated during the period of survey. Aspergillus flavus fungi species has the highest occurrence of 36.3% with Penicillium spp. and Fusarium spp. having the least (18.2%). A total of fungi counts of 9.89 × 107 was recorded with an average mean of 3.29 × 107