Biodegradation of environmental contaminants using white rot fungi

Conference · Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1994 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States)

OSTI ID:6724422

White, R B; Aust, S D ^[1]

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1. Utah State Univ., Midvale, UT (United States)

White rot fungi are a common, naturally-occurring class of wood-degrading fungi that evolved to degrade lignin. Extensive research conducted since the early 1980s has shown that many of the same mechanisms used by the fungi for lignin degradation also promote the degradation of several carbon-based environmental contaminants. These contaminants include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides, herbicides, wood preservatives, chlorinated solvents, PCBs, explosives, cyanide, dyes and others. The fungi use an extra-cellular, free-radical, nonspecific mode of degradation, which allows them to degrade both soluble and insoluble contaminants, whether they are absorbed or in solution. The extra-cellular substances secreted by the fungi include several enzymes (which catalyze the initial oxidation of contaminant molecules), hydrogen ions (to maintain a slightly acidic pH), electrons (to maintain a charge balance and to reduce contaminant through the breaking of chemical bonds), and the fungi secrete veratryl alcohol (a free-radical mediator that catalyzes reductions) and oxalate (an organic acid that is a highly effective reductant). Application of white rot fungi for the remediation of contaminated soils involves mixing fungal-inoculated substrates with the soil. The materials are moistened during mixing to provide an environment that is conducive to fungal growth. The soil/substrate mixture is then placed in a biocell and aerated to promote contaminant degradation. Case histories of bench-scale tests and field applications are presented.

• OSTI ID: 6724422
• Report Number(s): CONF-940988-; CODEN: AABUD2
• Journal Information: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States), Vol. 78:8; Conference: Annual meeting of the Eastern Section of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), East Lansing, MI (United States), 18-21 Sep 1994; ISSN 0149-1423
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
FUNGI
BIOLOGICAL PATHWAYS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
BIODEGRADATION
SOILS
REMEDIAL ACTION
AEROBIC CONDITIONS
POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS
AROMATICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
DECOMPOSITION
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
540220* - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)