Enzymatic Evaluation During Biodegradation of Kerosene and Diesel by Locally Isolated Fungi from Petroleum-Contaminated Soils of Western India

Abstract

The current study suggests that the fungal isolates P. decumbens PDX7, P. janthinellum SDX7, and A. terreus PKX4 degraded kerosene by 95%, 96%, and 75% and diesel by 79%, 75%, and 70% after 16 days based on the ability of utilizing these compounds as sole carbon sources. GC-MS chromatograms revealed that n-alkane fractions are easily degraded; however, the rate is lower for branched alkanes, n-alkyl aromatics, cyclic alkanes, and polynuclear aromatics displaying delayed and lower degradation. The ratio of aromatic/aliphatic hydrocarbons >0.8 indicates the efficiency of these fungi in removing the aromatic hydrocarbons of the petroleum products. All of the treated fungal strains exhibited higher MnP, laccase, and dehydrogenase activities on the twelfth and sixteenth days as compared to the initial fourth and eighth days. In addition, P. decumbens PDX7 and P. janthinellum SDX7 displayed higher enzymatic activities as compared to A. terreus PKX4. Fungal isolates were also tested for their growth on various xenobiotic compounds as sole carbon sources.