Degradação de hidrocarbonetos por fungos filamentosos

Abstract

Our ancestors knew oil centuries before Christ; the oil and its derivatives were used as mortar, putty (for caulk wood), lighting and heating products, paving of roads, in buildings and in the medical field as ointment and lubricants. Oil is a complex mixture of organic compounds, for the most part alkanes and aromatic hydrocarbons, with small quantities of compounds such as oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur. From the nineteenth century, the oil derivatives started being used as fuel forvehicles, components of explosives (glycerol and toluene), synthetic materials for clothing, medicines and solvents, among others. With the increasing use of these products, also increased the risk of environmental contamination by components or oil derivatives - mostly of them - toxic compounds to human beings. The high toxicity of aromatic hydrocarbons is directly related to the dangerousness of thesecompounds because they are mutagenic and carcinogenic causing problems for human health. Over the last decades, the amount of contaminated industrial wastes by recalcitrant compounds has grown significantly through improper practices of chemical wastes disposal and spills occurred during handling, transport or storage. The large amount of chemicals discarded in the environment, associated to its recalcitrance, results in their accumulation in soil, water, and it can be absorbed byplants and animals, interfering with the dynamics of ecosystems. Face of these events, it became necessary to invest in prevention and development of remediation technologies of affected areas. Bioremediation consists in utilization of biological agents, including microorganisms, to remove toxic compounds to the environment, whether by adsorption, inactivation or degradation, and it is an innovative technology for the treatment of these areas. This literature review briefly describes the potential application of fungi in bioremediation. These microorganisms are worth mentioning, considering the great diversity and their versatility to survive in harsh environments for long periods and also their ability to grow up quickly when the environment becomes favorable. Also, the metabolic diversity and the no specificity and versatilityof their multiple enzymatic systems that make them degrading of different organic molecules, including xenobiotic compounds of related chemical structures, such as petroleum hydrocarbons.