Biodegradation of bisphenol A by Heliscus lugdunensis, a naturally occurring hyphomycete in freshwater environments.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an environmental contaminant that has been under investigation for its detrimental effect on the aquatic ecosystem. In this study, an aquatic fungus, Heliscus lugdunensis Saccardo & Therry (live and heat-inactivated by autoclaving) was evaluated for its ability to utilize BPA as a carbon source. Both live and heat-inactivated fungal cultures were exposed to 10 mg L(-1) bisphenol A after cultivation in glucose for 3d. Extraction of BPA in the medium was carried out using PrepSep™ C-18 mini columns followed by quantification of recovered BPA by high performance liquid chromatography after sample clean-up. While heat inactivation sufficiently disrupts the ability of the fungal cells to utilize BPA, the live fungal cultures removed over 70% of BPA after 12d. Our results suggest that H. lugdunensis is capable of biodegrading BPA and utilizing it as an energy source.