Abstract:
A study was undertaken to investigate the efficacy of a white rot fungus (Lentinus subnudus), which is indigenous to Nigeria, in degrading the herbicides: Atrazine, heptachlor and metolachlor in herbicide polluted soil. Screening, in soil extract agar, of the white rot fungus for tolerance to atrazine, metolachlor and heptachlor individually and in combination under two different temperature regimes suggested high tolerance of these pollutants by L. subnudus. A liquid culture study was conducted with soil extract broth for pesticide degradation to avoid the technical limitations of examining pesticide degradation in soil extract agar. The fungus was able to grow in soil extract broth and degraded mixture of pesticides. About 94% degradation of metolachlor and heptachlor was observed, while about 78% of the atrazine was degraded after 25 days. This indicates high efficacy of use of this fungus as bioremedy to soil pollution by these herbicides.
Eunice O. Nwachukwu and Julian O. Osuji, 2007. Bioremedial Degradation of Some Herbicides by Indigenous White Rot Fungus, Lentinus subnudus. Journal of Plant Sciences, 2: 619-624.
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