Data on fungal abundance and diversity in copper and cobalt contaminated tailing soils in Kitwe, Zambia.

ABSTRACT: Mining activities in the Zambian Copperbelt Province have led to the release of heavy metal-containing waste, causing contamination in nearby areas. Despite this environmental challenge, limited knowledge exists regarding the mycobiota in copper mine sites. This study investigates fungal community structure in copper(Cu) and cobalt (Co) contaminated soils around decommisioned dams in Kitwe. Metagenomic analysis of the ITSF1 gene amplicons was used for the purpose. The composition of soil fungal communities was characterized, and the findings revealed significant insights. At the phylum level, Basidiomycota dominated the fungal profiles in the tailings (64.59%), followed by Ascomycota (21.30%), Glomeromycota (4.53%), and Rozellomycota (0.0275%). Several fungal ge

SUBMITTER: Dusengemungu L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10770708 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature