Enhanced biodegradation of phenanthrene in oil tar-contaminated soils supplemented with Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Journal Article · Tue Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1992 · Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (United States)

OSTI ID:6899511

Brodkorb, T S; Legge, R L ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Waterloo, Ontario (Canada)

In recent years, the white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium has shown promise as an organism suitable for the breakdown of a broad spectrum of environmental pollutants, including polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The focus of this study was to determine whether P. chrysosporium could effectively operate in an actual field sample of oil tar-contaminated soil. The soil was loaded with [14C]phenanthrene to serve as a model compound representative of the PAHs. Soil with the native flora present under static, aerobic conditions with buffering (pH 5.0 to 5.5) displayed full mineralization on the order of 20% in 21 days. The addition of P. chrysosporium was synergistic, with full mineralization on the order of 38% in 21 days. In addition to full mineralization, there was an increase in the proportion of radiolabelled polar extractives, both soluble and bound, in the presence of P. chrysosporium. From this study, it is apparent that the native soil microflora can be prompted into full mineralization of PAHs in some contaminated soils and that this mineralization can be enhanced when supplemented with the white rot fungus P. chrysosporium. With further refinement, this system may prove an effective bioremediation technology for soils contaminated with PAHs.

• OSTI ID: 6899511
• Journal Information: Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (United States), Journal Name: Applied and Environmental Microbiology; (United States) Vol. 58:9; ISSN AEMIDF; ISSN 0099-2240
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

04 OIL SHALES AND TAR SANDS
040900 -- Oil Shales & Tar Sands-- Waste management
550200 -- Biochemistry
560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AEROBIC CONDITIONS
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION
AROMATICS
BIOCONVERSION
BIODEGRADATION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CONDENSED AROMATICS
DECOMPOSITION
DIGESTION
EUMYCOTA
FUNGI
HYDROCARBONS
MANAGEMENT
MINERALIZATION
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PHANEROCHAETE
PHENANTHRENE
PLANTS
POLLUTANTS
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
PROCESSING
SOILS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING