TY - JOUR

T1 - Survival of the basidiomycete Schizophyllum commune in soil under hostile environmental conditions in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

AU - Traxler, Lea

AU - Wollenberg, Anne

AU - Steinhauser, Georg

AU - Chyzhevskyi, Ihor

AU - Dubchak, Sergiy

AU - Großmann, Sina

AU - Günther, Alix

AU - Gupta, Dharmendra Kumar

AU - Iwannek, Karl Heinz

AU - Kirieiev, Serhii

AU - Lehmann, Falk

AU - Schulz, Wolfgang

AU - Walther, Clemens

AU - Raff, Johannes

AU - Kothe, Erika

N1 - Funding Information: Lea Traxler: Conceptualization, investigation (DNA based experiments), validation (DNA based experiments), Writing - original draft. Anne Wollenberg: Investigation (large scale cultivation, agar and soil columns), Validation (agar and soil columns), Conceptualization, Writing - original draft. Georg Steinhauser: Supervision, conceptualization, Writing - original draft. Ihor Chyzhevskyi: Performing the field experiment and provide comprehensive assistance of collection the samples in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Sergiy Dubchak: Resources, investigation (participation in field experiments at the trial site), project administration at CEZ. Sina Großmann: Formal analysis and investigation (column experiments – performance and analysis of inorganic parameters). Alix Günther: Supervision, investigation (soil columns). Dharmendra Kumar Gupta: Investigation (field experiments). Karl-Heinz Iwannek: Investigation (field experiments). Serhii Kirieiev: Provision of laboratory rooms and equipments as well as all permissions for joint research in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Falk Lehmann: Investigation (large scale cultivation). Wolfgang Schulz: Investigation (radioanalytics), validation (radioanalytics), Writing - original draft. Clemens Walther: Conceptualization, supervision, acquisition of the financial support for the project leading to this publication. Johannes Raff: Project administration and conceptualization, supervision, acquisition of the financial support for the project leading to this publication. Erika Kothe: Writing - original draft, editing; supervision, subproject administration, acquisition of the financial support for the project leading to this publication.

PY - 2021/2/5

Y1 - 2021/2/5

N2 - Radioactive contamination resulting from major nuclear accidents presents harsh environmental conditions. Inside the Chernobyl exclusion zone, even more than 30 years after the accident, the resulting contamination levels still does not allow land-use or human dwellings. To study the potential of basidiomycete fungi to survive the conditions, a field trial was set up 5 km south-south-west of the destroyed reactor unit. A model basidiomycete, the lignicolous fungus Schizophyllum commune, was inoculated and survival in the soil could be verified. Indeed, one year after inoculation, the fungus was still observed using DNA-dependent techniques. Growth led to spread at a high rate, with approximately 8 mm per day. This shows that also white-rot basidiomycetes can survive the harsh conditions in soil inside the Chernobyl exclusion zone. The unadapted fungal strain showed the ability to grow and thrive in the contaminated soil where both stress from radiation and heavy metals were present.

AB - Radioactive contamination resulting from major nuclear accidents presents harsh environmental conditions. Inside the Chernobyl exclusion zone, even more than 30 years after the accident, the resulting contamination levels still does not allow land-use or human dwellings. To study the potential of basidiomycete fungi to survive the conditions, a field trial was set up 5 km south-south-west of the destroyed reactor unit. A model basidiomycete, the lignicolous fungus Schizophyllum commune, was inoculated and survival in the soil could be verified. Indeed, one year after inoculation, the fungus was still observed using DNA-dependent techniques. Growth led to spread at a high rate, with approximately 8 mm per day. This shows that also white-rot basidiomycetes can survive the harsh conditions in soil inside the Chernobyl exclusion zone. The unadapted fungal strain showed the ability to grow and thrive in the contaminated soil where both stress from radiation and heavy metals were present.

KW - Chernobyl exclusion zone

KW - Environment

KW - Fungi

KW - Schizophyllum commune

KW - Soil

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85091642536&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124002

DO - 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124002

M3 - Article

C2 - 33265035

AN - SCOPUS:85091642536

VL - 403

JO - Journal of hazardous materials

JF - Journal of hazardous materials

SN - 0304-3894

M1 - 124002

ER -