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5203581 
Journal Article 
Biodegradation of lindane pesticide by non white- rots soil fungus Fusarium sp 
Sagar, V; Singh, DP 
2011 
1 
World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
ISSN: 0959-3993
EISSN: 1573-0972 
27 
8 
1747-1754 
WOS:000292984000002 
Lindane or gamma- hexachlorocyclohexane (gamma-HCH) is a chlorinated pesticide and its toxic effects on biota necessitate its removal. Microbial degradation is an important process for pesticide bioremediation and the role of soil fungi in recycling of organic matter prompted us to study the biodegradation of lindane using fungi. This study aims at enrichment, isolation and screening of soil fungi capable of metabolizing lindane. Two Fusarium species (F. poae and F. solani) isolated from the pesticide contaminated soil showed better growth on the plates supplemented with lindane as a sole carbon source, when compared with the growth performance of other fungal isolates from the same contaminated soil. However, ANOVA revealed a significant difference in fungal biomass production in both F. poae (F = 22.02; N = 15; P < 0.001) and F. solani (F = 268.75; N = 15; P < 0.001) across different lindane concentrations (0-600 mu g ml(-1)). Growth of both Fusarium sp. was maximum at a lindane concentration of 100 mu g ml(-1), while minimum at 600 mu g ml(-1) concentrations. Results on the time dependent release of chlorine by the Fusarium strains in the presence of various concentration of lindane showed the highest mineralization of the pesticide on 10th day of incubation. Time dependent variations in the release of chlorine from 1st to 10th day by both the selected fungal strains were found to be statistically significant. A significant positive relationship exists between fungal biomass increase and chlorine release existed for both F. solani (RA(2)A = 0.960) and F. poae (RA(2)A = 0.628). The results of gas chromatograph analysis of gamma- HCH confirmed the biodegradation and utilization of gamma- HCH by F. poae and F. solani. The data on lindane degradation by the two fungal strains demonstrated that the biodegradation of lindane by F. solani (59.4%) was slightly higher than that by the F. poae (56.7%). 
Bioremediation; Free chlorine; Fungi; Lindane; Soil