Bioaugmentation of endosulfan contaminated soil in artificial bed treatment using selected fungal species
Creators: name: Bisht, Jyoti
name: N. S. K. Harsh
name: L. M. S. Palni
name: Agnihotri, Vasudha
name: Anuj Kumar
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2019
Subjects: subject: Microbiology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: Ecology
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Plant Biology

description: Pollutants when incorporated in the soil lead to adverse effect on soil quality. Bioaugmentation provides very attractive, eco-friendly, and economic solution to problems associated with hazardous pollutants. The present study conducted biodegradation potential of four fungal species namely; <i>Cladosporium cladosporioides</i>, <i>Penicillium frequentans</i>, <i>Trametes hirsuta</i>, and <i>Trametes versicolor</i> to degrade endosulfan in soil using artificial bed. Individual fungi as well as their consortium are able to degrade endosulfan in soil. Toxicological effect of endosulfan and its degradation products in soil fertility was also evaluated during study. To evaluate the toxicological effect of endosulfan and its degradation products in soil fertility, soil pH, total microbial population and the soil enzymes activity were also analyzed. At the end of 30<b> </b>days of incubation period, maximum per cent degradation of endosulfan was observed in soil augmented with <i>T. hirsuta</i> (86.23%), followed by <i>T. versicolor</i> (67.35%) which was at par with fungal consortium (63.49%). Degradation of endosulfan in soil treated with <i>C. cladosporioides</i> and <i>P. frequentans</i> was 60.37% and 56.18%, respectively. In addition, degradation of endosulfan decreased in all treatments as its concentration increased in soil. All tested fungi degraded α-endosulfan more efficiently than β-endosulfan. At the end of experiment (after 30<b> </b>days), maximum degradation of both isomers was recorded in soil augmented with <i>T. hirsuta</i> (α<b> </b>=<b> </b>93.03<b> </b>±<b> </b>2.86 and β<b> </b>=<b> </b>79.42<b> </b>±<b> </b>2.71%). Fungi which showed more endosulfan degradation also produced more endosulfan sulfate in soil. However, less endosulfan sulfate was recorded in <i>T. hirsuta</i> and <i>T. versicolor,</i> though they degraded endosulfan more efficiently. pH in natural soil (control) and abiotic control remain at par during the complete incubation period and ranged between 7.45<b> </b>±<b> </b>0.03 to7.49<b> </b>±<b> </b>0.01. In soil treated with <i>T. hirsuta</i> and <i>T. versicolor,</i> pH was decreased significantly to acidic range (6.44<b> </b>±<b> </b>0.04 and 6.64<b> </b>±<b> </b>0.01, respectively). In soil treated with fungal consortium, pH increased initially (7.57<b> </b>±<b> </b>0.04), but later it was found to decrease (7.16<b> </b>±<b> </b>0.03). Usually, after an initial toxic effect, mineralization of endosulfan leads to an increase in microbial populations and enzyme activities in bioaugmented soil, and the efficient fungi caused more pronounced increment.