Soil Fungi Resistant to Organic Pollutants as a Potential Solution for Air Biofiltration

Abstract

Human activity leads to the production and release of many aliphatic and aromatic compounds that have long been considered a major source of pollution that needs to be addressed. Especially those substances that possess one or several aromatic rings (MAHs and PAHs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are of concern, and numerous studies have tried to understand mechanisms of degradation and develop biological solutions to this problem.Many microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi have been documented to be able to degrade and even use as a source of carbon and energy these types of organic pollutants. White-rot fungi are well documented for their ability to degrade aromatic compounds due to their enzyme system involved in lignin decomposition. However, several less studied anamorphic fungi and yeasts can grow on different organic compounds (including PAHs and VOCs) as a sole source of carbon. These species are of a great importance for developing strategies for organic pollutants biodegradation, and have often been isolated from sources traditionally contaminated, such as soil and industrial debris.In this study, mycobiota from different types of soil contaminated with aromatic compounds has been studied to understand the way the pollutants affect the microbiome and fungal communities' composition. Several fungi have been demonstrated to grow well on contaminated soils and their potential for biodegradation of organic compounds is discussed. These insights contribute to moving forward the possible biological pathways involved in the biofiltration of the gaseous pollutants from urban automotive underground spaces and other related applications.