Degradation of environmental pollutants by Trametes trogii

The ability of the ligninolytic fungus Trametes trogii to degrade in vitro different xenobiotics (PCBs, PAHs and dyes) was evaluated. Either 200 ppm of a PCB mixture (Aroclor 1150) or 160 ppm of an industrial PAH mixture (10% V/V of PAHs, principal components hexaethylbenzene, naphthalene, 1-methyl naphthalene, acenaphthylene, anthracene, fluorene and phenanthrene), were added to trophophasic and idiophasic cultures growing in a nitrogen limited mineral medium (glucose/asparagine) and in a complex medium (malt extract/glucose). Gas-liquid chromatography proved that within 7 to 12 d more than 90% of the organopollutants added were removed. The decrease in absorbance at 620 nm demonstrated that cultures of this fungus were able to transform 80% of the dye Anthraquinone-blue (added at a concentration of 50 ppm) in 1.5 h. Enzyme estimations indicated high activity of laccase (up to 0.55 U/mL), as well as lower production of manganese-peroxidase. Laccase activity, detected in all the conditions assayed, could be implicated in the degradation of these organopollutants. Considering the results obtained, T. trogii seems promising for detoxification.