In this bioremediation study, the fungus Penicillium sp. isolated from kefir grains was evaluated for its resistance to copper in the culture medium. Penicillium sp. was cultivated in liquid medium prepared using 2% malt-agar at pH 7.0. Biomass of the fungus was significantly reduced, but only when 800 mg·L-1 of Cu(NO3)2 copper nitrate was used. The effect on radial growth of the fungus in experiments combining different pH values and the inorganic contaminant showed an inhibition of 73% at pH 4.0, 75% at pH 7.0 and 77% at pH 9.0 in liquid medium. Thus, even though the growth of Penicillium sp. could be inhibited with relatively high doses of copper nitrate, images obtained with scanning electron microscopy showed the preservation of fungal cell integrity. Therefore, it can be concluded that Penicillium sp. isolated from kefir grains can survive while performing bioremediation to minimize the negative effects of copper on the environment through biosorption.
Keywords: Penicillium sp.; bioremediation; copper nitrate; inorganic contaminant; kefir.