Biodegradation and biodetoxification of phenanthrene mixture with anthracene and benzo(a)pyrene; an in-depth study on Phellinus noxius BRB 11 potentials, isolated from Berbak-Sembilang Biosphere Reserve, Indonesia

Biodegradation of PAH mixtures is an eco-friendly practice that requires the exploration of efficient microbes. In this study, three fungal species; Phellinus noxius BRB 11, Leiotrametes menziesii BRB 73, and Ceriporia lacerata BRB 81, were screened for phenanthrene (PHE) degradation. Manganese peroxidase (MnP) and laccase activities were analyzed before and after the degradation. Following the screening, further degradation was performed by P. noxius BRB 11 using the following seven treatments: PHE, anthracene (ANT), Benzo (a) pyrene (BaP), PHE–ANT, PHE–BaP, ANT–BaP, and ANT–PHE–BaP. The transformed metabolites and metabolic pathways were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Phytotoxicity and cytotoxicity were investigated using Artemia salina and Vigna radiata. The primary screening revealed P. noxius BRB 11 to be a potential strain based on 95% PHE degradation, followed by 24%, and 26% using L. menziesii BRB 73 and C. lacerata BRB 81, respectively. Further research was carried out using only P. noxius BRB 11 to degrade PAHs in single and mixture forms. Co-degradation was observed above 90% except for ANT, while single degradation demonstrated high values for ANT and lower for BaP. Pathway analysis of P. noxius BRB 11 confirmed ten metabolites with lower toxicity in both phytotoxicity and cytotoxicity assays. This study provides a foundation for the practical applications of white rot fungal species in PAH degradation.