Fungus, mould

Trichoderma asperellum Samuels, Lieckf. & Nirenberg

A soil ascomycete. Strain H15, selected for PAH tolerance, degrades PAHs in soil microcosms, benzo[a]pyrene included, with enzymes different from those of white-rot fungi.

Tashkoskip, CC BY-SA 4.0

How it works

Mechanisms: mycodegradation
Enzymes: catechol 1 2 dioxygenase, laccase, peroxidase

Contaminants

Contaminant	Evidence	What was shown
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons	laboratory	Soil microcosms with sugarcane bagasse: up to 78% of phenanthrene degraded in 14 days at 1,000 mg/kg; with a three-PAH mixture at 1,000 mg/kg, 74% of phenanthrene, 63% of pyrene and 81% of benzo[a]pyrene were degraded. Zafra et al. (2015) Degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil by a tolerant strain of Trichoderma asperellum. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22:1034-1042, 2015

Contaminant

Evidence

What was shown

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

laboratory

Soil microcosms with sugarcane bagasse: up to 78% of phenanthrene degraded in 14 days at 1,000 mg/kg; with a three-PAH mixture at 1,000 mg/kg, 74% of phenanthrene, 63% of pyrene and 81% of benzo[a]pyrene were degraded.

Zafra et al. (2015) Degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil by a tolerant strain of Trichoderma asperellum. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22:1034-1042, 2015

Limits

A single strain and soil spiked in the laboratory with fresh PAHs, far more available than those of an aged site; an added substrate (bagasse) is needed. No field trial was found.