Institute / University / Company: Kano University of Science and technology wudil
Research Unit: Microbiology department
Address (city, state): Kano State, NIGERIA
Please give 5 key-words showing your research / interest in Microbial Ecotoxicology:
Microbial Biodegradation
Environmental Microbiology
Toxicogenomics
Pollutant-Microbe Interaction
Bioremediation
Main kinds of contaminant(s) of interest:
Heavy Metals (e.g., lead, cadmium, mercury)
Pesticides and Herbicides
Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs)
Petroleum Hydrocarbons (e.g., crude oil, PAHs)
Microplastics and Nanoparticles
Main kinds of microorganisms of interest:
Bacteria – e.g., Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Acinetobacter (often used in bioremediation)
Fungi – e.g., Aspergillus, Penicillium, Trichoderma (known for degrading pollutants and heavy metals)
Algae – e.g., Chlorella, Scenedesmus (involved in wastewater treatment and metal uptake)
Archaea – especially extremophiles involved in biodegradation under harsh conditions
Cyanobacteria – important in aquatic ecosystems and for their potential in biosorption and detoxification
Main kinds of ecosystems of interest:
Soil ecosystems – to study how microbes interact with contaminants like pesticides, heavy metals, and hydrocarbons in agricultural or industrial soils.
Freshwater ecosystems – such as rivers, lakes, and wetlands affected by sewage, industrial effluents, and agricultural runoff.
Marine ecosystems – particularly for understanding the impact of oil spills, plastic pollution, and heavy metal accumulation.
Wastewater treatment systems – including activated sludge and bioreactors, where microbial communities play a role in detoxification.
Sediment ecosystems – where persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and metals accumulate, affecting benthic microbial communities.
Do you give courses on Microbial Ecotoxicology ?: No
Most relevant articles in the field of Microbial Ecotoxicology (max.5):
García-Díaz, I., et al. (2020) “Microbial communities as indicators of soil health in agroecosystems: Effects of long-term organic and conventional farming.” Applied Soil Ecology, 147, 103395. Explores how farming practices and contaminants influence microbial diversity and function.
Chen, S., et al. (2019) “Microbial remediation of heavy metals in the environment: Recent advances and future perspectives.” Chemosphere, 217, 882–891. Reviews microbial mechanisms for heavy metal detoxification and their application in remediation.
Malla, M. A., et al. (2018) “Soil microbial diversity: A key player for soil health and sustainable agriculture.” Chemistry and Ecology, 34(9), 743–753. Discusses how environmental pollutants impact soil microbial diversity and functions.
Hassanshahian, M. (2014) “The role of bacteria in oil pollution bioremediation.” Journal of Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2(1), 1–5. Focuses on bacterial communities involved in the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons.
Lima-Morales, D., et al. (2020) “Microbial ecotoxicology: A new perspective to understand the impact of pollutants in microbial communities.” Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 205, 111120. Introduces microbial ecotoxicology as a field and how it links microbial processes to pollutant impacts.
