Bioremediation of Petroleum-Contaminated Soil

Petroleum is not only an important energy resource to boost economic development but also a major pollutant source of soil. Petroleum toxicity can cause an adverse impact on the environment, as well as has negative effects for both animals and humans due to its carcinogenic nature. Therefore, its removal from the environment becomes a matter of concern. Although a lot of techniques are in use for remediation of petroleum-contaminated soil, exploitation of fungal ability provides a sustainable solution for this due to their ability to survive in harsh environmental conditions. Mycoremediation is the bioremediation technique employed for the removal of toxic compounds using fungal biomass. The fungi have been proved as a potential biomass degrader for complex organic compounds, resulting in the production of versatile extracellular enzymes. In this chapter, we have highlighted the basic concept of mycoremediation, the enzymatic system involved in the degradation process, the mechanism of fungal degradation, and factors affecting the degradation process. The chapter also provides useful insight for greater future understanding and improvement of the technique towards solving the problem of petroleum-contaminated soils.