Detoxification and elimination of xenoestrogen nonylphenol by the filamentous fungus Aspergillus versicolor

•Filamentous fungus Aspergillus versicolor IM 2161 is able to degrade 4-n-NP.•Biodegradation of 4-n-NP resulted in the formation of oxygen containing compounds.•Formation of 14CO2 was observed during biodegradation of 4-n-NP.•4-n-NP induces morphological defects of the mycelium of A. versicolor IM 2161.•Decrease of estrogenic activity was observed during the biodegradation of 4-n-NP.

4-nonylophenol (4-NP) is a mixture of toxic degradation intermediates of non-ionic surfactants used worldwide, showing endocrine disrupting activity. Biodegradation of one of 4-NP isomers – 4-n-NP (non-branched isomer of 4-NP), was studied using the filamentous fungus Aspergillus versicolor IM 2161, which demonstrates high detoxification and mineralization capacity in cultures supplemented with 4-n-NP at an initial concentration of 100 mg L−1. During 24 h of incubation in flasks or bioreactor (pO2 ≥ 20%), 63 and 87.5% (respectively) of the toxic substrate was eliminated with nine by-products determined. Additional experiments with radioactive 4-n-NP [ring-14C(U)] showed that this xenobiotic is completely mineralized with the formation of CO2. Microscope inspection and yeast estrogen assay (YES) revealed direct correlation between 4-n-NP biodegradation and a decrease in toxicity in the fungus cultures. The final reduction in endocrine activity was 70.1 and 88.7% after 48 and 72 h of incubation (respectively) which indicates that the investigated strain of A. versicolor IM 2161 can be a convenient tool for decontamination of areas polluted with 4-NP.