Biodegradation of dibenzothiophene, fluoranthene, pyrene and chrysene in a soil slurry reactor by the white-rot fungus Bjerkandera sp. BOS55

Mass transfer phenomena can be an important constraint of the soil remediation process. With the goal of minimizing the mass transfer limitation, the degradation of four different PAHs by the white-rot fungus Bjerkandera adusta in a spiked marsh soil was evaluated in a slurry system. Key factors affecting the oxidation of PAHs with different chemical structure (two, three and four aromatic rings) were investigated. These included inoculum preparation, glucose concentration and synergic or antagonic actions between endogenous microflora and fungal culture. It was demonstrated that the fungus was able to grow and degrade the pollutants in a slurry phase stirred tank reactor. There was no significant improved effect on the degradation when the treatment was performed in presence of soil microflora. The system attained high PAH degradations, around 30 mg PAH/kg soil, after 30 days of operation under optimal conditions.