634| Biolife | 2014 | Vol 2 | Issue 2 B I O L I F E R E S E A R C H A R T I C L E CHROMIUM TOLERANT INDIGENOUS FUNGAL STRAINS FROM INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENTS OF ANUGUL DISTRICT, ODISHA, INDIA aPanda, S.S 1 *, Sahoo, K 2 , Muduli,S.D 3 , Sahoo,G 4 , Ahemad, M.D.J 5 , Nayak, B.B 6 and Dhal, N.K 7 1-7 Environment and Sustainability Department CSIR-Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology Bhubaneswar-751013, Orissa, India E-mail: swati.sucharita8@gmail.com ABSTRACT Industrial discharges, in the form of effluent or wastewater is one of the biggest problems causing serious environmental pollution. Bioremediation is an emerging technology for removing the heavy metals from the contaminated environment. In the present study, industrial effluent samples from five different sites of Bhusan Steel Plant (BSP) and National Thermal Power plant Corporation (NTPC) were collected. Heavy metal analysis of effluent samples showed the presence of a number of metals like Chromium(Cr), Zinc (Zn), Manganese (Mn), Lead (Pb), Cobalt (Co), Copper (Cu), Nickel (Ni), and Cadmium (Cd), from which Mn, Cr, Pb and Zn were beyond the permissible limit. Five different fungal strains were isolated and identified as Penicillium sp., Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus sp., Penicillium adametzi and Aspergillus niger. Out of which, Aspergillus fumigatus was found to remove maximum Cr from the culture broth in comparison with other isolates. Hence, from the present study it can be concluded that indigenous fungi can be a novel tool for bioremediation. Further studies need to be carried out on biosorption of toxic heavy metals through fungi. Key words: Bioremediation; heavy metals; indigenous fungal isolates; industrial effluents 1. INTRODUCTION In the wake of industrialization, consequent urbanization and ever increasing population, the basic amenities of life viz. air, water and land are being polluted continuously. Industrial complexes have become the focus of environmental pollution Shukla et al. (2007). The main pollutant from these industrial effluent were heavy metals such as Cu, Ni, Zn, Pb, Cr, Hg, Cd etc. and various organic compounds such as phenols, formaldehyde etc. Rajendran et al. (2003). The biomagnifications of these heavy metals in the effluents act as a major threat to human life Yigit and Altindag (2006); Hooda (2007). Therefore, it is highly necessary to reduce and remove these heavy metals from the water sources in order to increase the water quality and maintain a healthy human life Ilhan et al. (2004). According to World Health Organization (1984), the metals like Cd, Cr, Pb, Cu, Ni, Zn, Hg etc. are of immediate concern. Most of the heavy metal salts are soluble in water and form aqueous solutions and consequently cannot be separated by ordinary physical means of separation. So in order to overcome the problems, an alternative and innovative biological treatment has been focused on. Chromium is one of the major pollutants in the environment and is frequently present in AN INTERNATIONAL QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF BIOLOGY & LIFE SCIENCES 2(2):634-640 ISSN (online): 2320-4257 www.biolifejournals.com