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Trichoderma longibrachiatum Evx1 is a fungal biocatalyst suitable for the remediation of soils contaminated with diesel fuel and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

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Abstract

Trichoderma sp. strain Evx1 was isolated from a semi-deciduous forest soil in Southern Italy. It decolorizes polynuclear organic dyes and tolerates high concentrations of phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, and pyrene. The ability of this ascomycete fungus to degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons was verified in vitro and confirmed by its strong phenoloxidase activity in the presence of gallic acid. Phylogenetic characterization of Trichoderma sp. Evx1 positioned this strain within the species Trichoderma longibrachiatum. The potential use of this species for the bioremediation of contaminated environmental matrices was tested by inoculating diesel-spiked soil with a dense mycelial suspension. The biodegradation percentage of the C12-40 hydrocarbon fraction in the inoculated soil rose to 54.2 ± 1.6 %, much higher than that in non-inoculated soil or soil managed solely by a combination of watering and aeration. The survival and persistence of T. longibrachiatum Evx1 throughout the bioremediation trial was monitored by PCR-DGGE analysis. The fungal strain was still present in the soil 30 days after bioaugmentation. These findings indicate that T. longibrachiatum Evx1 may be a suitable inoculum in bioremediation protocols for the reclamation of soils contaminated by complex mixtures of hydrocarbons.

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Acknowledgments

This study was carried out as a part of the Microbially-Stimulated Wildfire Impact Remediation (MICROS-WILDFIRE) project, with financial support from the University of Verona and Eurovix S.p.A. (Viale Enrico Mattei 17 24060 Entratico BG Italy) under the Joint Project 2011 initiative.

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  1. Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 15, 37134, Verona, Italy

    Marco Andreolli, Silvia Lampis & Giovanni Vallini

  2. Eurovix SpA - Viale Enrico Mattei 17, 24060, Entratico, BG, Italy

    Pierlorenzo Brignoli

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  1. Marco Andreolli
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  2. Silvia Lampis
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  3. Pierlorenzo Brignoli
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  4. Giovanni Vallini
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Correspondence to Silvia Lampis or Giovanni Vallini.

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Andreolli, M., Lampis, S., Brignoli, P. et al. Trichoderma longibrachiatum Evx1 is a fungal biocatalyst suitable for the remediation of soils contaminated with diesel fuel and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 9134–9143 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6167-6

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