Ricerc@Sapienza

Il dicloro-difenil-tricloroetano (DDT) e l’esaclorocicloesano (HCH), noto anche commercialmente con il nome di lindano, sono stati utilizzati intensamente in tutto il mondo come insetticidi organoclorurati per il controllo di insetti dannosi per l’uomo e le attività agricole (1, 2). Data la loro persistenza, la loro diffusione a grande distanza e il loro accumulo nella catena alimentare, tali composti clorurati, noti come P.O.P. (Persistent Organic Pollutants) sono stati messi al bando a livello internazionale ormai da quasi tre decenni (3).

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.

Fungi can tolerate and transform anthropogenic contaminants such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), thanks to their metabolic and enzymatic versatility (1, 2, 3). Indeed, fungal biodegradation of POPs, e.g. DDT, has been recognized as an environmentally-friendly, feasible, integrated, cost-effective remediation biotechnology (1, 2, 3).

Several Trichoderma species can synthesize molecules of high biotechnological value, including antifungal compounds and cell-wall degrading enzymes and provide applications in mycoremediation. The saprotrophic fungal strain FBL 587, deposited in the culture collection of the Fungal Biodiversity Laboratory, Sapienza University of Rome, was isolated from Polish DDT-contaminated soils. Tolerance indices (Rt:Rc (%); T.I. (%)) were used to assess fungal tolerance to 1 mg/L DDT.

Developing an inexpensive, effective and environmentally-friendly method of remediation of
persistent organic pollutants is still an emerging need. Exploiting natural rhizosphere
microorganisms, having capacity to degrade various xenobiotics, in association to plants able to
accumulate the pollutants into their biomass, is a promising alternative to conventional remediation
techniques. In this respect, fungi can play a key role.
Several reports are showing high potential of Cucurbitaceae in phytoremediation of DDT and its

Contamination of soils with persistent organic pollutants (POPs), particularly DDT, is very common in the natural environment, and their removal from the soil has become a serious problem. Results of a monitoring program showed that about 30% of the soil samples collected from eight Voivodeships contained DDT residues.