Biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989 · Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (USA)

OSTI ID:5133559

Bumpus, J A ^[1]

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1. Utah State Univ., Logan (USA)

The ability of the white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium to degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that are present in anthracene oil (a distillation product obtained from coal tar) was demonstrated. Analysis by capillary gas chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography showed that at least 22 PAHs, including all of the most abundant PAH components present in anthracene oil, underwent 70 to 100% disappearance during 27 days of incubation with nutrient nitrogen-limited cultures of this fungus. Because phenanthrene is the most abundant PAH present in anthracene oil, this PAH was selected for further study. In experiments in which ({sup 14}C)phenanthrene was incubated with cultures of P. chrysosporium containing anthracene oil for 27 days, it was shown that 7.7% of the recovered radiolabeled carbon originally present in ({sup 14}C)phenanthrene was metabolized to {sup 14}CO{sub 2} and 25.2% was recovered from the aqueous fraction, while 56.1 and 11.0% were recovered from the methylene chloride and particulate fractions, respectively. High-performance liquid chromatography of the {sup 14}C-labeled material present in the methylene chloride fraction revealed that most (91.9%) of this material was composed of polar metabolites of ({sup 14}C)phenanthrene. These results suggest that this microorganism may be useful for the decontamination of sites in the environment contaminated with PAHs.

• OSTI ID: 5133559
• Journal Information: Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (USA), Journal Name: Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (USA) Vol. 55:1; ISSN 0099-2240; ISSN AEMID
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540211 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- Radiometric Techniques-- (1990-)
540220* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ANTHRACENE
AROMATICS
BIODEGRADATION
CARBON 14 COMPOUNDS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONDENSED AROMATICS
DECOMPOSITION
FUNGI
HYDROCARBONS
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
METABOLISM
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PHENANTHRENE
PLANTS
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
TRACER TECHNIQUES