Abstract
Hydrocarbons can have very harmful effects on organisms and the environment, and conventional techniques for their removal are expensive and require the use of chemicals and long-term actions. Trichoderma is an ascomycete genus known to be active on different recalcitrant substrates, since it can produce a set of nonspecific extracellular enzymes generally involved in the degradation of lignin. However, the literature concerning the use of Trichoderma to degrade hydrocarbons is still limited. In this work we aimed to investigate the ability of Trichoderma to exploit used engine oil as its sole carbon source for prospective bioremediation of contaminated substrates. Four different strains belonging to Trichoderma asperellum and Trichoderma harzianum species were tested. The fungi were inoculated in direct contact with used engine oil, and after 45 days the samples were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The results showed that all strains (except Trichoderma asperellum F1020) significantly changed the oil composition, decreasing the aromatic fraction in favor of the aliphatic one. T. harzianum F26, especially, showed a significant reduction of the BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and the three xylene isomers) and alkylbenzenes fraction and an increase in short-chain aliphatics C1–C20. Enzymatic tests for laccase and peroxidase were also carried out, demonstrating that every strain seems to express a different mode of action.
Highlights
IntroductionDespite significant improvements in handling, transportation, and containment, they still enter water and soil environments
T. harzianum F26 and T. harzianum F58 seem to be closely related from a phylogenetic point of view
T. asperellum 1020 is grouped with other T. asperellum strains and other strains from the Trichoderma Pachybasium A complex (T. hamatum and T. pubescens)
Summary
Despite significant improvements in handling, transportation, and containment, they still enter water and soil environments. The most severe damage to natural ecosystems has been reported after accidental releases [1]. Engine oil is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons, engine additives, and metals like aluminum, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel, and silicon. Engine oil contains hundreds of aliphatic, linear, or branched and aromatic hydrocarbons [2], most of which are toxic to living organisms [3,4]. Hydrocarbons can accumulate in animal organs directly or indirectly through the food chain [5]. In humans, prolonged exposure to or contact with high concentrations of hydrocarbons can cause liver or kidney disease, bone marrow damage, reproductive disorders, and increased risk of cancer [6,7].
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