DEGRADATION OF MIXED AROMATIC POLLUTANTS BY TRAMETES VERSICOLOR STRAIN 1

One of the most distributed groups of industrial pollutants consists of aromatic hydrocarbons. Because of the complex nature of such wastes the obtaining of new strains able to degrade different toxic aromatic compounds in mixtures is a challenge to many scientists exploring the area of environmental microbiology. In this study the strain of white rot fungus Trametes versicolor was cultivated in a medium comprising a mixture of phenol (0.2 g/l), resorcinol (0.1 g/l), p-cresol (0.1 g/l), and o-nitrophenol (0.14 g/l). Phenol, resorcinol and p-cresol were degraded in 24 hours and then a slow o-nitrophenol degradation was observed. There was about 50% decrease of o-nitrophenol concentration in 144 hours. The degradation of the tested concentrations of phenol, resorcinol and p-cresol in a mixture showed similar characteristics as in the experiments with each of them used as a single carbon substrate. The data showed that the presence of o-nitrophenol does not influence the biodegradation rate of other compounds included in the mixture. The capability of the investigated strain demonstrated its potential for future application in bioremediation technologies oriented to cleaning and preservation of industrially polluted water.