Bioremediation Potentials of Heterobasidion annosum 13.12B and Resinicium bicolor in Diesel Oil Contaminated Soil Microcosms

The remediation potentials of diesel oil by two white rot fungi (Basidiomycota; Hymenomycetes) Heterobasidion annosum 13.12B and Resinicium bicolor were tested in two artificially contaminated experimental matrices: Norkran’s liquid medium and Insch - Pitcaple soil collected from Aberdeen, United Kingdom. Gravimetric measurements showed reductions in the weight of the hydrocarbon extract from soil inoculated with H. annosum 13.12B and R. bicolor. The reduction in diesel extract was observed to be higher in the treatments with H. annosum 13.12B compare with other treatments in soil microcosm amended with 3.5 and 7 % diesel oil. Significant increase in extractable hydrocarbon was detected in Norkran’s liquid medium amended with 1 and 3.5 % diesel oil. These results showed that white rot fungi could be harnessed to remediate soil contaminated with diesel oil in the field