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