Growth, Oxidative Stress and Ability to Degrade Tetrabromobisphenol A of Phanerochaete chrysosporium in the Presence of Different Nano Iron Oxides.

In order to improve the performance of white rot fungi, especially the model species Phanerochaete chrysosporium in tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) degradation, the strategy of synergizing Phanerochaete chrysosporium with nano iron oxides was considered; however, the effects of different nano iron oxides on Phanerochaete chrysosporium are still unknown. In this study, 20 nm γ-Fe₂O₃, 30 nm α-Fe₂O₃, 20 nm Fe₃O₄, and 200 nm Fe₃O₄ were used, and the fungal growth, oxidative stress, and ability to degrade TBBPA were monitored. The results showed that the addition of four nano iron oxides did not inhibit the growth of Phanerochaete chrysosporium. The effective antioxidant defense system of Phanerochaete chrysosporium could cope with almost all oxidative pressure induced by 200 nm Fe₃O₄. But when the size of nano iron oxide became significantly smaller or when the type of iron oxide changed from Fe₃O₄ to Fe₂O₃, a higher intracellular hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) content, lower intracellular superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities and higher extracellular lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity were induced. When nano iron oxides synergized with Phanerochaete chrysosporium, the removal of TBBPA in all groups was slightly improved and mostly due to the degradation of TBBPA, with smaller iron oxides showing more enhancement for the degradation of TBBPA, while 200 nm Fe₃O₄ only enhanced the adsorption of TBBPA. The enhanced degradation of TBBPA showed no significant correlation with lignin-degrading enzyme activities but was closely correlated with the intracellular H₂O₂ concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]