Abstract

Pulp and paper mills are categorized as a core sector industry and are the fifth largest contributor to industrial water pollution. The pollutant, discharge from the pulp and paper industry, affect all aspects of the environment such as water, air and land. Various studies have reported detrimental effects of pulp and paper mill effluent on animals living in water bodies receiving the effluent. The effects are in form of respiratory stress, oxidative stress, liver damage and genotoxicity. This study aimed to determine the species of fungi present in the soil environment of Jharna area. Different types of fungi were isolated from soil samples contaminated with degraded papers. Identification of fungi was carried out by culturing on Potato dextrose and Sabouraud’s Dextrose agar media and microscopic method. In our study, dominant fungal flora, that is, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus terrus, Penicillium sp., Trichoderma sp. and yeast were isolated. These fungi play important role in the paper and pulp industry in degradation of paper waste.

Key words: Pulp, paper, fungi, Aspergillus sp.