Isolation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Degrading Fungal Candidate from Oil-Contaminated Soil and Degradation Potentiality Study on Anthracene

The anthracene degradation potential of Aspergillus sp. strain HJ1 isolated from crude oil-contaminated soil has been studied under laboratory conditions. The biodegradation study was carried in flask culture environment by amending anthracene at a rate of 20 mg/L in 20 mL of Mineral Salt Media (MSM). Biodegradation of anthracene was assessed based on the removal of parent compound (i.e., anthracene) from the MSM media during different treatment periods of the study. A microtitter assay had also been carried out to study the growth of the isolated fungus in different concentration of anthracene such as 2.5, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 mg/L in PDB growth media. Results of the flask culture study as well as GC–MS quantification showed significant decrease in the concentration of the compound as against the initial value and control samples. The percentage degradation of anthracene was 25.40%, 39.20%, 40.20%, 41.80%, 48.00%, and 55.00%, respectively by 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 days of experimental trials. The results of the microtitter assay revealed that Aspergillus sp. strain HJ1 showed maximum growth in 25 mg/L concentration of anthracene. Further, growth of the fungal species was found to significantly better after 48 h of the incubation periods.