Degradation of 4-tert-butylphenol in contaminated soil using Penicillium sp. CHY-2 isolated from pristine Antarctica

The feasibility of Penicillium sp. CHY-2 isolated from pristine Antarctic soil was evaluated for the remediation of 4-tert-butylphenol (4-t-BP) contaminated soil. The strain CHY-2 completely degraded 4-t-BP present in the artificially contaminated soil within three weeks. Also, the number of indigenous bacteria and fungi present in the soil were analyzed at different time intervals using colony forming unit (CFU) analysis. The viable cell count of fungi were increased from day 10 to day 21 in the contaminated soil, and it was in accordance with the decrement of 4-t-BP concentration. The viable cell count of bacteria also increased with respect to time. The results suggested that the strain CHY-2 can be applied for the treatment of 4-t-BP contaminated soil.