Pre-screening of filamentous fungi isolated from a contaminated site in Southern Brazil for bioaugmentation purposes

Abstract

Four Aspergillus sp. strains were isolated from contaminated soil in Rio Grande, Southern Brazil. The biodegradation potential of these strains was evaluated using a simple method involving the determination of colony growth rates on plates containing a specific hydrocarbon or petroleum
derivative as the only carbon source. The LEBM1 strain presented a high tolerance level to BTX. It was the only strain capable of growth on all the media, with growth rates varying from 1.3 to 2.2 mm/day. The LEBM2 strain presented the potential for phenol degradation, while the LEBM3 strain could be used for gasoline, diesel oil, hexane and chlorobenzene.