Biodegradation and Mineralization of Bisphenol A by a Novel Soil-derived Fungus Paraconiothyrium Brasiliense Mediated by Extracellular Laccase

Bisphenol A (BPA), involved in plastic manufacturing, has indeed raised major threats due to its pervasive and potentially hazardous effects on human life and the environment. Therefore, a global concern with the elimination and biodegradation of diverse plastic material pollution is necessary. The purpose of this study was to investigate and thoroughly screen promising fungi for efficacy BPA biodegradation. Totally, 15 soil fungi were isolated. Among them, 6 isolates exhibited greater levels of BPA degradation with varied rates from 60 ± 0.8-100 ± 0.1 % and were then identified in accordance with (ITS) regions. The highly promising BPA degradation isolate (100 %) was confirmed as Paraconiothyrium brasiliense strain HMA1, with a removal concentration of (0.5-500 mg/L) after 10 days with an optimal temperature at 30 °C, pH at 7.5, and ammonium sulphate as nitrogen source. Moreover, multiple intermediate metabolites were detected and confirmed during the BPA biodegradation process using high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) with the help of quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-TOF). The HMA1 exhibited a considerable mineralization rate of 150 mg/L BPA reached up to 78 % of total organic carbon in the culture media after 5 days. Depending on the properties of intermediate components, the potential BPA degradation pathway of HMA1 was proposed. Furthermore, the activity of extracellular laccase and its potential for BPA degradation was studied to elucidate the mechanism of BPA biodegradation by HMA1. Conclusively, our findings provide the first report combined with distinct characteristics of P. brasiliense with a maximum BPA elimination to be a promising candidate for plastic-based material degradation.