Application In Soil Remediation Research Articles

The activities of the extracellular enzymes laccase and manganese peroxidase (MnP) of the white rot fungi Pleurotus sp. and Dichomitus squalens were measured in the straw substrate and soil layers of solid state cultures. Cultures with sterile soil were compared to cultures with nonsterile soil. For both organisms, enzyme activities in sterile soil were approximately the same as in straw when calculated to the base of the liquid phases (water content) in the straw or soil material. The growth rate and enzyme activities of Pleurotus sp. were not significantly influenced by the presence of soil microorganisms. In contrast, D. squalens did not penetrate the nonsterile soil, and no enzyme activities could be detected in nonsterile soil. Laccase and MnP activities in the straw declined to zero. From this point of view, highly competitive strains like Pleurotus sp. seem to be more suitable for the application in soil remediation than weak competitors (D. squalens) which are not able to maintain appropriate levels of enzyme activities in nonsterile soil.