STUDIES ON DIFFERENT INDIGENOUS MICROORGANISM IN PULPAND PAPER MILL INDUSTRY EFFLUENT

The present work was carried out to monitor the impact of paper effluent on the microbial diversity viz., bacteria, fungi and cyanobacteria. Results of one year ecological study revealed that altogether 10 species of bacteria, 5 species of fungi and 42 species of cyanobacteria were isolated from the effluent stream. Among the bacteria, Pseudomonas with two species and others with single species each were recorded. Aspergillus was dominant among fungi with 2 species followed by Penicillium with three. Cyanobacteria, one of the dominant group of algae, inhabiting all kinds of water (effluents), recorded 42 species. Oscillatoria with 14 species was the dominant genus followed by Lyngbya (8), Phormedium (4), Chroococcus and Microcystis with two species each. Higher amounts of phosphates and nitrates, with sufficient amount of oxidizable organic matter, limited dissolved oxygen content and slightly alkaline pH were probably the factors favoring the growth of microbes especially cyanobacteria. The utilization of dominant species of cyanobacteria to monitor pollution in Paper mill effluent has also been discussed.