Solid phase bioremediation methods using lignin-degrading fungi

A method for in-place bioremediation of a contaminated soil having halogenated hydrocarbon contaminants, comprising the steps of:

• inoculating in place a field-contaminated, nonsterile soil having pentachlorophenol contaminant, with an inoculum including a lignocellulosic substrate and one or more lignin-degrading fungal strains of species selected from the group consisting of Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Phanerochaete sordida, and Trametes hirsuta, said lignocellulosic substrate in an amount sufficient to produce a biomass of said inoculum sufficient to metabolize said pentachlorophenol contaminant;
• aerating and hydrating said inoculated soil for a time and under conditions sufficient for said inoculum to metabolize said pentachlorophenol contaminant under ambient temperature conditions;
• and
• degrading said pentachlorophenol contaminant by said inoculum to bioavailable degradation products,
• wherein said inoculating step provides an inoculum density in said soil of about 2-40% w/w of a dry weight of said inoculum to a dry weight of said inoculated soil.

A method for in-place bioremediation of a contaminated soil having halogenated hydrocarbon contaminants, comprising the steps of:

• inoculating in place a field-contaminated, nonsterile soil having pentachlorophenol contaminant, with an inoculum including a lignocellulosic substrate and one or more lignin-degrading fungal strains of species selected from the group consisting of Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Phanerochaete sordida, and Trametes hirsuta, said lignocellulosic substrate in an amount sufficient to produce a biomass of said inoculum sufficient to metabolize said pentachlorophenol contaminant;
• aerating and hydrating said inoculated soil for a time and under conditions sufficient for said inoculum to metabolize said pentachlorophenol contaminant under ambient temperature conditions;
• and
• degrading said pentachlorophenol contaminant by said inoculum to bioavailable degradation products, wherein said pentachlorophenol contaminant has a concentration of between about 15 .mu.g per g to about 1100 .mu.g per g soil, prior to inoculating the soil.

A method for in-place bioremediation of a contaminated soil having halogenated hydrocarbon contaminants, comprising the steps of:

• inoculating in place a field-contaminated, nonsterile soil having pentachlorophenol contaminant, with an inoculum including a lignocellulosic substrate and the lignin-degrading fungal species of Phanerochaete sordida, said lignocellulosic substrate in an amount sufficient to produce a biomass of said inoculum sufficient to metabolize said pentachlorophenol contaminant;
• aerating and hydrating said inoculated soil for a time and under conditions sufficient for said inoculum to metabolize said pentachlorophenol contaminant under ambient temperature conditions;
• and
• degrading said pentachlorophenol contaminant by said inoculum to bioavailable degradation products, wherein said pentachlorophenol contaminant has a concentration of between about 400 .mu.g per g to about 1100 .mu.g per g of soil, prior to inoculating the soil.

A method for in-place bioremediation of a contaminated soil having halogenated hydrocarbon contaminants, comprising the steps of:

• inoculating in place a field-contaminated, nonsterile soil having pentachlorophenol contaminant, with an inoculum including a lignocellulosic substrate and one or more lignin-degrading fungal strains of species selected from the group consisting of Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Phanerochaete sordida, and Trametes hirsuta, said lignocellulosic substrate in an amount sufficient to produce a biomass of said inoculum sufficient to metabolize said pentachlorophenol contaminant;
• aerating and hydrating said inoculated soil for a time and under conditions sufficient for said inoculum to metabolize said pentachlorophenol contaminant under ambient temperature conditions;
• and
• degrading said pentachlorophenol contaminant by said inoculum to bioavailable degradation products, wherein a degradation product is pentachloroanisole.

A method for in-place bioremediation of a contaminated soil having halogenated hydrocarbon contaminants, comprising the steps of:

• inoculating in place a field-contaminated, nonsterile soil having pentachlorophenol contaminant, with an inoculum including a lignocellulosic substrate and one or more lignin-degrading fungal strains of species selected from the group consisting of Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Phanerochaete sordida, and Trametes hirsuta, said lignocellulosic substrate in an amount sufficient to produce a biomass of said inoculum sufficient to metabolize said pentachlorophenol contaminant;
• aerating and hydrating said inoculated soil for a time and under conditions sufficient for said inoculum to metabolize said pentachlorophenol contaminant under ambient temperature conditions;
• and
• degrading said pentachlorophenol contaminant by said inoculum to bioavailable degradation products, wherein said pentachlorophenol has an initial concentration prior to degradation and wherein a degradation product is pentachloroanisole having a concentration of less than 10% of said initial concentration of said pentachlorophenol.