Mechanisms and Potential for Fungal Bioremediation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Other Environmental Contaminants: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are present in soil, water, and air. The existence of PAHs in the environment is dangerous as they pose significant impacts on humans, plants, and animals. Fungal bioremediation is a sustainable approach to overcome environmental pollution by utilizing the metabolic capabilities of fungi to degrade or convert a wide range of pollutants, including PAHs. It is cost-effective, safer, and environmentally friendly. The review describes PAHs' structure, classes, sources, and toxicity. Different PAHs remediation techniques are also compared with mycoremediation. Because of their adaptability, fungi can be used for remediation in various environmental contexts, such as soil, water, and air. Fungi can degrade PAHs, converting them into various intermediate products, by secreting extracellular enzymes such as laccase, manganese peroxidase, and lignin peroxidase. Ligninolytic and non-ligninolytic fungi used in mycoremediation are also discussed. Many factors affect the efficiency of the biodegradation process of PAHs, including temperature, nutrient availability and pH of the media. This review also discusses a comprehensive overview of the applications of fungi in diverse contaminants such as dyes, heavy metals and xenobiotics, and in-situ and ex-situ bioremediation approaches. Finally, it discusses strategies, highlighting the limitations and challenges of fungal bioremediation.