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Updated: Oct 27, 2026

Isolation and Screening from Soil Biodiversity for Fungi Involved in the Degradation of Recalcitrant Materials
Published on: May 16, 2022
Isolation and characterization of humic acid-degrading microorganisms from natural environments
Yujie Cao1,2, Zhenle Lei3,4, Qing He5
1Dingxi Vocational and Technical College, Dingxi, 730500, China.
Abstract:
Humic acid (HA) is an important component of natural organic matter and is widely present in soils, sediments, and wastewater. Due to its complex aromatic structure and high chemical stability, HA exhibits poor biodegradability and increases the difficulty of wastewater treatment. Microbial degradation has attracted increasing attention as an environmentally friendly approach for HA removal. However, functional HA-degrading microorganisms from natural organic matter-rich environments remain insufficiently explored. In this study, artificial lake sediment and humified soil beneath decayed ginkgo wood were selected as microbial sources for screening HA-degrading microorganisms. A total of 33 microbial isolates were obtained through enrichment culture, acclimation, and screening procedures. Among them, three representative strains, designated as HA-X1, HA-X4, and HA-Z3, exhibited relatively higher HA removal efficiencies. Based on morphological characteristics and molecular identification, HA-X1 and HA-X4 were assigned to Bacillus-related taxa, while HA-Z3 was affiliated with the genus Phoma. The growth characteristics and HA removal performances of the selected strains under different initial HA concentrations, pH conditions, and inoculum dosages were further investigated. The results showed that all selected strains could grow in HA-containing media and exhibited HA removal capability under the tested conditions. Among the three strains, HA-X4 showed the highest overall removal performance. The selected strains displayed different responses to environmental factors, indicating variations in their HA transformation characteristics. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed the morphological characteristics of bacterial cells and fungal mycelial structures. This study provides functional microbial resources for further investigation of HA biodegradation and the development of biological treatment technologies for HA-containing wastewater.
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