Aims: Use of Pleurotus ostreatus as a veritable tool in the bioremediation of empty fruit
bunches, pulp and paper wastes from respective industries.
Place and Duration of Study: Samples of pure culture Pleurotus ostreatus was obtained
from National Roots Crops Research Institute Laboratory Umudike, Umuahia and
transported to the laboratory of Starline Nigeria Group of Companies Aba, both in Abia
state, Nigeria where it was used to carry out experimental work from July to September,
2013. Methodology: The two substrates (empty fruit bunch (EFB) and paper pulp wastes) were
dried in the sun for one week and further dried in Gallen Kamp hot box oven (DGH-9053A)
at 50ºC for 4hours. Samples were ground, sieved and powder obtained used for
proximate composition determination. Approximately 1cm2 blocks of pure culture of
Pleurotus ostreatus mycelium previously collected and maintained on Malt extract agar
(MEA) was used to inoculate sterilized wheat grain already soaked in water for 36hours,
mixed with 2.5% calcium carbonate and 1% gypsum during spawn preparation. The empty
fruit bunches and paper wastes were reduced to smaller sizes of 2-5cm. The respective
substrates were mixed with lime and soaked in water for 4h to obtain moisture level of
70%. The substrates (2kg) was bagged in heat resistant polythene and sterilized for
Original Research Article
British Microbiology Research Journal, 4(9): 1013-1024, 2014
1014
3hours at 80°C. Approximately 40g individual sterilized substrate was inoculated with 2%
spawn adopting multilayered technique. After inoculation, holes were made on the bags to
ensure aeration, kept inside a disinfected room at 25-28ºC. When Pleurotus mycelium had
completely colonized the substrates, bags were removed, colonized substrate transferred
to sunlight illuminated room at 28°C, moisture content of 75-85% and adequate watering of
the mushroom for 21 days. The process was repeated in combinations of other substrates
like wheat, straw and sorghum respectively with each of the substrates (EFB and Paper
Waste); all prepared at 70:30% ratio respectively.
Results: Among the different treatments, Empty fruit bunch gave maximum yield of
201.5g/kg of substrate on 14th day and total yield of 675.1g/kg of dry substrate. The
nutritional content of Pleurotus ostreatus grown on different substrate and substrate
combination ranges from 83.5-91.4% moisture, 18.3-23.5% protein and 6.04-6.86% ash
contents. The combination of EFB + sorghum best supported the bioremediation process
of Empty fruit bunch.
Conclusion: Pleurotus ostreatus could serve as bioremediation tool for industrial solid
wastes like EFB and paper. It can also alleviate poverty by providing greater income for
most unemployed youth at no cost.