Biodegradation of fluoranthene by soil fungi.

A selection of 39 strains of micromycetes known as goad degraders of polych lorinated aromatic compounds, mostly isolated from soil and belonging to va rious taxonomic groups, have been investigated for fluoranthene degradation . Toxicity assays, first evaluated on solid medium MEA, have not shown any toxicity of fluoranthene (1-100 mg.L-1) towards fungi, Whereas, consumption assays on a solid synthetic medium showed a toxicity at 100 mg.L-1, The de gradation of fluoranthene 110 mg.L-1) was then investigated in a liquid syn thetic medium for 4 days and evaluated by HPLC. Among the 39 strains tested , 18 degraded fluoranthene at 60% or more. Zygomycetes appeared to be the m ost efficient group (mean degradation : 90%). Among is performant strains, 10 had not yet been reported in the literature : Sporormiella australis, Cr yptococcus albidus, Cicinobolus cesatii, Pestalotia palmarum. Beauveria alb a, Aspergillus terreus. Cunninghamella blakesleeana, C. echinulata, Mortier ella ramanniana and Rhizopus arrhizus. Fluoranthene adsorption on fungi was very low for the strains which degraded well fluoranthene (mean adsorption : 4%). Whereas. some strains adsorbed it much more such as Colletotrichum dematium (47%) and Penicillium italicum (43%). (C)1999 Elsevier Science Ltd . All rights reserved.