The effect of anionic and nonionic detergents on soil microfungi

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Abstract
Surveys of the microfungal populations in potting soil watered with tap water, a solution of anionic 15-S-3A detergent (Tergitol, 15-S-3A), and a solution of nonionic 15-S-9 detergent (Tergitol, 15-S-9), revealed a greater reduction in propagule densities in the anionic detergent watered soil than in the nonionic detergent watered soil. In the anionic detergent study, 39 species, including six dominant species which contributed 58% of the isolates, were obtained from the treated soil. In the nonionic detergent study, both sample populations contained 29 species and the four to six dominants contributed 67–68% of the 100 isolates.Twenty-two isolates representing 10 dominant species were tested in vitro for sensitivity to the two detergents. All grew at the lowest concentration (10 p.p.m.) of both detergents. The growth rates of nine isolates increased with the addition of 10 p.p.m. of the anionic detergent; four isolates showed increased growth with 10 p.p.m. of the nonionic detergent. With increasing concentration of detergent from 100 to 1000 p.p.m., the growth rates of 21 of the 22 fungi decreased. Isolates recovered from detergent-treated soil grew better in the medium containing detergent than the same species recovered from the control soil. In concentrations of 1000 p.p.m., complete inhibition was displayed by four species in the anionic series compared to five species in the nonionic series. Both detergents affected pigmentation, exudate formation, and rigidity of the sporangiophore in several of the fungi.Fourteen of the 16 isolates tested used anionic detergent and 12 isolates used nonionic detergent as a carbon source for growth. Dry weight differences indicated that the anionic detergent was more available than the nonionic detergent.

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