Ricerc@Sapienza

The study of the soil microbial community represents an important step in better understanding the environmental context. Therefore, biological characterisation and physicochemical integration are keys when defining contaminated sites. Fungi play a fundamental role in the soil, by providing and supporting ecological services for ecosystems and human wellbeing. In this research, 52 soil fungal taxa were isolated from in situ pilot reactors installed to a contaminated site in Czech Republic with a high concentration of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH).

DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane) was widely used worldwide to control agricultural pests and vectors of several insect-borne human diseases, but its use was banned in most industrialized countries since 1972 due to toxicological concerns. However, due to its persistence in the environment, residues still remain in environ-mental compartments becoming long-term sources of exposure affecting organisms. The metabolic and enzy-matic versatility of fungi can be exploited for DDT biodegradation purposes.

Hydrogeological characterization is required when investigating contaminated sites, and hydraulic conductivity is an important parameter that needs to be estimated. Before groundwater sampling, well water level values are measured during low-flow purging to check the correct driving of the activity. However, these data are generally considered only as an indicator of an adequate well purging.