Assessment of aflatoxins produced by certain Aspergilla in heavy metals contaminated soil treated with commercial chitosan

Heavy metals and aflatoxins contaminated crops are considered a big problem threatening animals and humans. The relationships between heavy metal mixture in contaminated soil and certain fungi produced aflatoxins are studied. The role of commercial chitosan as bi-functional agent was studied too. Chitosan powder 1% realized high heavy metals adsorbance efficacies in both soil and reduces its availability in obtained plants. This study focuses also on developing an effective technology for treatment of aflatoxins and available heavy metals-contaminated soil. Our results indicated that added chitosan1% to seed beads area increased the percentage of germinated seeds, minimized the availability of Cu, Zn, Mn, Ni ,Fe and Al in produced rocket plants. Chitosan significantly reduced aflatoxinG1 in both tested soils. Meanwhile, the aflatoxin B1 inhibition was significantly exhibited only in case of sterilized sandy soil. On the other hand, aflatoxin B1 and G1were significantly inhibited in plants. The competition between soil flora and the two tested fungi don’t affect the chitosan’s efficacy.