83 research outputs found
Quebracho tannin treatment with Aspergillus tubingensis MUT 990 immobilized in polyurethane foam cubes in a novel submerged cage reactor
Biosorption with autochthonous and allochthonous fungal biomasses for bioremediation and detoxification of landfill leachate
Fungal infections and Cultural Heritage: An alternative approach for VOCs analysis applied in indoor environments
Mycological and ecotoxicological characterisation of landfill leachate before and after traditional treatments
Exposure and risk in indoor environment: VOCs analysis from unexpected microbiological sources
Fungal biocatalysts in the textile industry: Whole-cell systems in real textile wastewater treatment
Isolation and characterisation of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) degrading fungi from a historically contaminated soil
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are widespread toxic pollutants. Bioremediation might be an effective, cost competitive and environment-friendly solution for remediating environmental matrices contaminated by PCBs but it is still unsatisfactory, mostly for the limited biodegradation potential of bacteria involved in the processes. Very little is known about mitosporic fungi potential in PCB bioremediation and their occurrence in actual site historically contaminated soils. In the present study, we characterised the native mycoflora of an aged dump site soil contaminated by about 0.9 g kg<sup>-1 </sup>of Aroclor 1260 PCBs and its changing after aerobic biotreatment with a commercial complex source of bacteria and fungi. Fungi isolated from the soil resulting from 120 days of treatment were screened for their ability to adsorb or metabolise 3 target PCBs.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The original contaminated soil contained low loads of few fungal species mostly belonging to the Scedosporium, Penicillium and Aspergillus genera. The fungal load and biodiversity generally decreased throughout the aerobic treatment. None of the 21 strains isolated from the treated soil were able to grow on biphenyl (200 mg L<sup>-1</sup>) or a mixture of 2-chlorobiphenyl, 4,4'-dichlorobiphenyl and 2,2',5,5'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (20 mg L<sup>-1 </sup>each) as sole carbon sources. However, 16 of them grew in a mineral medium containing the same PCBs mixture and glucose (10 g L<sup>-1</sup>). Five of the 6 isolates, which displayed the faster and more extensive growth under the latter conditions, were found to degrade the 3 PCBs apparently without the involvement of ligninolytic enzymes; they were identified as Penicillium chrysogenum, Scedosporium apiospermum, Penicillium digitatum and Fusarium solani. They are the first PCB degrading strains of such species reported so far in the literature.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The native mycoflora of the actual site aged heavily contaminated soil was mainly constituted by genera often reported as able to biodegrade organopollutants. It was generally remarkably reduced after the biotreatment, which however resulted in the selection of few mitosporic fungal species able to biodegrade PCBs. This is the first study in which an extensive characterisation of the cultivable indigenous mycoflora of an actual site aged PCB contaminated soil, as well as its changes upon soil bioremediation treatment, was conducted. Moreover, this is the first paper in which 5 strains ascribable to 4 mitosporic species able to biodegrade PCB are reported in the literature.</p
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