Fungal biodegradation of chlorinated herbicides: an overview with an emphasis on 2,4-D in Argentina

Abstract

Chlorinated herbicides are one of the main types of pesticide used in agriculture. In Argentina, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) is the most applied herbicide for the control of broadleaf weeds, but the risks it poses for the environment and human health are cause for great concern. A promising technology to remove this kind of pollutants, or neutralize them in such a way that they become less or non-toxic, is the use of degrading or detoxifying microorganisms from contaminated sites. Filamentous fungi can bioremediate xenobiotics thanks to their efficient enzymatic machinery. However, most studies on the degradation of 2,4-D have been carried out with bacteria, and little is known about whether it can be efficiently biodegraded by fungi. In the environment, fungal strains and native microbiota may detoxify contaminants through mechanisms like biosorption, bioabsortion, biotransformation, and/or degradation. Whether these processes occur separately or simultaneously depends on the metabolic ability of the strains that conform the microbial community. Another important concern when attempting to introduce detoxifying microorganisms into a contaminated environment is the GRAS (“Generally Recognized As Safe”) assessment or status. These are studies that help predict a biodegrading microorganism’s pathogenicity, toxicity, and infectivity before in situ application. This application, moreover, is regulated by different legal frameworks. The present review aims to outline the main aspects of 2,4-D degradation by fungi, and to summarize the current state of research on the topic in Argentina.

The Taxonomic Status of Physalaemus cuqui Lobo, 1993, with the Description of a New Species of Physalaemus (Anura: Leptodactylidae) from Argentina and Paraguay

“…Gonçalves et al (2023: their Fig. 2, their Appendix 1); Magnoli et al (2023: 10); Pérez-Álvarez et al (2023: 3, 10). [Misidentifications.…”

Immobilizing white‐rot fungi laccase: Toward bio‐derived supports as a circular economy approach in organochlorine removal

“…LEs from fungi have great potential for a variety of applications, including bioconversion of different types of pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, synthetic dyes, pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, xenobiotics, and various lignocellulosic compounds (Asemoloye et al, 2021; Kumar & Chandra, 2020; Voběrková et al, 2018; Zerva et al, 2020). Nevertheless, it is still unclear which enzymes produced by WRF degrade chlorinated phenols most efficiently, which ones initiate this transformation, and how their activity is regulated by environmental conditions (Rubilar et al, 2008, Magnoli et al 2023).…”

Water Quality Assessment and Decolourisation of Contaminated Ex-Mining Lake Water Using Bioreactor Dye-Eating Fungus (BioDeF) System: A Real Case Study

“…Mycoremediation offers extensive removal of pollutants, such as heavy metals [ 14 ], antibiotics [ 15 ], dyes [ 16 ], aromatic hydrocarbons [ 17 ], organic materials, and non-organic pollutants [ 18 ], due to varying mechanistic properties. Fungi have a unique enzyme that can convert harmful pollutants into less harmful and less toxic by-products through the biodegradation or biotransformation mechanism [ 19 ], thus minimizing the discharge of toxic materials into the environment. Fungi also may act as a biosorbent, as their mycelial pellets offer ‘sponge-like’ properties, making fungi an appealing technology to explore by researchers [ 20 ].…”