###### Abstract  
The main objective of this study was to select indigenous fungal species suitable for the potential mycoremediation of the soils polluted by organic pollutants. As a sampling area, Litvinov City (North Bohemia, Czech Republic) was selected. The city is characterized by intensive coal mining, coal processing, and the chemical industry, predominantly petrochemistry. The elevated contents of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) were identified in urban soils due to the long-term industrial pollution. The results confirmed elevated contents of PAHs in all the analyzed soil samples with high variability ranging between 0.5 and 23.3 mg/kg regardless of the position of the sampling area on the city map. PCBs and PCDD/Fs exceeded the detection limits in the soil at the sampling points, and several hotspots were revealed at some locations. All the sampling points contained a diverse community of saprotrophic and mycorrhizal fungi, as determined according to abundant basidiomycetes. Fungal species with a confirmed ability to degrade organic pollutants were found, such as species representing the genera _Agaricus_ from the Agaricaceae family, _Coprimopsis_ from the Psathyrellaceae family, _Hymenogaster_ from the Hymenopteraaev family, and _Pluteus_ from the Pluetaceae family. These species are accustomed to particular soil conditions as well as the elevated contents of the POPs in them. Therefore, these species could be taken into account when developing potential bioremediation measures to apply in the most polluted areas, and their biodegradation ability should be elucidated in further research. The results of this study contribute to the investigation of the potential use of fungal species for mycoremediation of the areas polluted by a wide spectrum of organic pollutants. soil pollution; remediation; glamalin; fruiting bodies of fungi 2025 15 8607 2025 15 860 Fungi are eukaryotic, heterotrophic organisms that obtain necessary nutrients through digestion using enzymes. Some of these enzymes can also break down substances that are difficult to degrade naturally, such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs). This could be the key to gentle remediation methods, so-called mycoremediation. Mycoremediation uses various fungal species to degrade or immobilize a wide range of organic and inorganic pollutants in environmental matrices. Unlike bacteria, fungal mycelium can act as a unit that renews dead hyphae, allocates resources, and grows around barriers and resource-rich areas of soil [6]. If resources are available in the soil, unlimited cell division can occur in the hyphae of the mycelium. Many fungal species can also form rhizomorphs that grow great distances from the original mycelium and colonize more distant areas with unfavorable conditions. Fungi produce bioactive enzymes that can be used for bioremediation [7]. Furthermore, fungi can withstand higher concentrations of toxic substances in the environment than other organisms [8]. Therefore, fungi belong to promising organisms for potential bioremediation measures in the polluted areas. [PERSON] et al. [9] reviewed the exceptional ability of fungi to degrade organic pollutants and decrease the risk associated with metals, metalloids, and radionuclides by altering their bioaccessibility. Their review explained the principles of fungal degradation/immobilization ability and the possible use of fungi for bioremediation of various environmental matrices such as soil, water, and air. Furthermore, hyphae can remove chlorinated organic pollutants from wastewater [10]. Among the Basidiomycetes, the lignicolous (i.e., white-rot and brown-rot fungi) and the ectomycorrhizal symbionts were confirmed as organisms able to degrade hardly degradable organic pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and other POPs, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) [11]. [PERSON] et al.