White Rot Fungi and Their Potential Use in Soil Bioremediation Processes

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Abstract
The white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium has the ability to degrade a wide variety of environmentally persistent compounds, many of which are toxic organopollutants. Compounds degraded by this fungus include 1,1, 1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane, 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T), 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo(p) dioxin, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, pentachlorophenol, benzo[α]pyrene, and other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. This chapter reviews the use of this fungus in soil bioremediation, as well as selected aspects of soil biochemistry that have general or specific relevance to the use of this fungus or other white rot fungi in soil bioremediation. The use of microorganisms for the bioremediation of contaminated soils is, in many cases, an attractive, economical, and environmentally compatible alternative to incineration or land filling. Indeed, numerous sites worldwide have been successfully bioremediated using such processes. A number of microorganisms have been discovered by taking advantage of the fact that, on exposure to a given organopollutant, microbial populations are often enriched with organisms that have the ability to metabolize the compound (or compounds) of interest.

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