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Growth of the fungus Chaetomium aureum in the presence of lead: implications in bioremediation

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Abstract

Filamentous fungi were isolated from semiarid soil in which the lead (Pb) concentrations were above regulatory limits as determined by the Brazilian standards. Among these fungi, four isolates were tested for their abilities to grow in a culture medium containing lead nitrate. Chaetomium aureum was the species that presented a comparatively better performance including mycelial growth in a lead-containing medium, ability to use pectin as a carbon source, as well as basophilic and thermotolerant properties. The C. aureum inoculum with either activated or inactivated native microbiota was able to reduce the free Pb in soil (61 and 54%, respectively) after 60 days of inoculation. Although the mechanism involved in decreasing water-soluble and exchangeable lead concentrations in soil has not been studied, either the processes of biosorption by organic molecules (called oosporein, produced by this species) or fungal mineral transformation is among its possible explanations. These findings support the use of filamentous fungi as potential tools for the bioremediation of contaminated sites and highlight C. aureum as a promising tool for environmental biotechnology. In addition, the ability of this fungus (collected in a lead-contaminated area) to grow efficiently in the presence of this metal indicates that the bioprospecting strategy of the indigenous microbiota should be encouraged, as they appear to be more likely to succeed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Ensaios Farmacológicos e Toxicológicos, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul – FURG, Av. Itália, km 8, Campus Carreiros, Rio Grande, RS, CEP 96203-900, Brazil

    Flavio Manoel Rodrigues Da Silva Júnior, Lisiane Martins Volcão & Laiz Coutelle Hoscha

  2. Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rua Visconde de Paranaguá 102 Centro, Rio Grande, RS, CEP 96203-900, Brazil

    Flavio Manoel Rodrigues Da Silva Júnior, Lisiane Martins Volcão & Laiz Coutelle Hoscha

  3. Instituto de Tecnologia de Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Luiz Freire, 700, Cidade Universitária, Recife, PE, CEP 50740-540, Brazil

    Sônia Valéria Pereira

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  1. Flavio Manoel Rodrigues Da Silva Júnior
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Da Silva Júnior, F.M.R., Volcão, L.M., Hoscha, L.C. et al. Growth of the fungus Chaetomium aureum in the presence of lead: implications in bioremediation. Environ Earth Sci 77, 275 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-018-7447-x

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