MYCOLab Ai Logo - gold and army green

Mycoremediation of Petroleum-Contaminated Soil Using Native Ganoderma and Trametes Strains from the Ecuadorian Amazon

Summary

Researchers from Ecuador tested native fungi from the Amazon rainforest for their ability to clean up oil-contaminated soil. Five fungal species were found to remove over 96% of petroleum hydrocarbons in just 60 days through their natural enzymatic systems. These results show that fungi from biodiverse regions could offer an affordable and sustainable alternative to traditional soil cleanup methods, particularly important for communities affected by oil extraction pollution.

Background

Petroleum-contaminated soils in Ecuador, particularly in the Amazon region, pose significant environmental and health risks due to extensive oil extraction activities. White-rot fungi possess ligninolytic enzyme systems capable of degrading complex organic pollutants including petroleum hydrocarbons. Native fungal strains from biodiverse regions like Ecuador remain largely unexplored for bioremediation applications.

Objective

To identify and assess native Ascomycota and Basidiomycota fungal strains from Yasuní National Park in the Ecuadorian Amazon with high oxidative enzymatic activity and potential for mycoremediation of petroleum-contaminated soils.

Results

All 16 tested strains demonstrated enzymatic activity, with Ganoderma cf. parvulum showing the highest laccase activity (4.3 × 10⁴ U/L). The five selected strains achieved TPH removal efficiencies ranging from 96-99.3%, significantly outperforming controls with natural attenuation (12.4%) and non-inoculated substrate (24%). T. meyenii QCAM7785 achieved the highest removal efficiency at 99.3%.

Conclusion

Native fungal strains from the Ecuadorian Amazon demonstrate exceptional potential for mycoremediation of petroleum-contaminated soils, with removal efficiencies exceeding 96%. These results highlight the promise of employing native fungal biodiversity as sustainable bioremediation agents, though further field-scale validation studies are needed.
  • Published in:Journal of Fungi (Basel),
  • Study Type:Laboratory Experimental Study,
  • Source: PMID: 41003197
Scroll to Top