Physicochemical properties, heavy metal content and fungal characterization of an old gasoline-contaminated soil site in Anand, Gujarat, India

The current investigation was aimed to study physicochemical properties, heavy metal concentration and fungal communities of top soil samples taken from an old gasoline-contaminated site and from uncontaminated garden site in Anand, Gujarat, India. The total petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations were 11 500 and 142.65 mg kg –1 for gasoline contaminated and uncontaminated soils, respectively. The contamination was associated with increased soil organic carbon, nitrogen concentration and clay content (2.77, 0.58 and 35.70%, compared to 1.50, 0.15 and 32.4% in the garden soil, respectively), i.e., increased organic and inorganic nutrient contents. Increased concentration of heavy metals like cadmium, copper, iron, zinc and lead in contaminated soil was evident. Nine native fungal species belonging to a total of six genera, included Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus versicolor, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium oxysporum, Penicillium janthinellum from garden soil, and in addition Aspergillus niger, Fusarium oxysporum, Cladosporium bruhnei and Galactomyce geotrichum from the aged gasoline-contaminated soil were identified based on 18S rRNA. The changes created by gasoline contamination resulted in change of intenisty of some physicochemical properties, soil conductivity, pH, fungal growth and soil fertility indices.