Screening of ectomycorrhizal fungi for degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Ectomycorrhizal fungi belonging to 16 species (27 strains) were tested for their ability to degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs): phenanthr ene, chrysene, pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene. Cultivated on a complex liquid me dium, most of the fungi tested were able to metabolise these compounds. App roximately 50% of the benzo[a]pyrene was removed by strains of Amanita exce lsa, Leccinum versipelle, Suillus grevillei, S. luteus, and S. variegatus d uring a 4-week incubation period. The same amount of phenanthrene was also metabolised by A. muscaria, Paxillus involutus, and S. grevillei. The degra dation of the other two PAHs was, for the most part, less effective. Only S . grevillei was able to remove 50% of the pyrene, whereas Boletus edulis an d ii. muscaria removed 35% of the chrysene.