ABSTRACT
Many pollutants of interest are classified as hydrophobic organic compounds (HOC) due to their low solubility in water. Some of these pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and some pesticides specifically raise health and environmental concerns due to their persistence and chronic toxicity. Since HOC in soils tend to strongly sorb onto hydrophobic surfaces and organic matter, their low bioavailability can be a limitation to efficient remediation of contaminated sites. Biodegradation capacities of fungi towards organic pollutants and especially hydrocarbons have drawn significant research attention. Fungi are key structural and functional constituents of the soil, shaping both its physical and chemical properties, in dynamic interaction with other living organisms. In this regard, evaluating fungal biodegradation abilities is not sufficient to understand the role of fungi in the natural attenuation of polluted soils and their potential for bioremediation. Indeed, fungi are likely to affect pollutant retention in soils in indirect ways through modifications of the soil properties. Mechanisms by which HOC-degrading fungi access and mobilize these compounds in interaction with other organisms are still not fully understood. This chapter discusses how fungi affect pollutant stability and mobility in soils, and present an overview of experimental strategies to study these phenomena.
