RESUMO
The fungus Penicillium crustosum was employed for endosulfan biodegradation, finding that sulphate endosulfan and mono alcohol endosulfan were the main compounds produced; therefore, an oxidative degradation pathway was suggested. A 93 ± 4.7% of Endosulfan degradation after one month of treatment of a highly salty agricultural soil was obtained, where ΔST was up to 17 ± 0.58 mN m-1, (related to the water value of 72 mNm-1), that was induced by the fungus during soil mycoremediation Additionally, an improvement in soil quality (reduction of clay proportion and salinity, as well as an increase of soluble phosphorus, carbon content and organic matter) was observed during the mycoremediation treatment. The phytotoxicity of the pesticide on Phaseolus leptostachyus was evaluated in the soil without the fungus addition (control), where the pesticide was translocated in the crop, presenting a negative effect in germination index, root length and weight, aerial weight, humidity, and proline content. This contrasted with the effect on the crop grown in the soil treated with P. crustosum, which had better agronomic characteristics. This is first report in which the effect of this property allows the pesticide biodegradation, due to a combined Endosulfan bioavailability and fungal biodegradation.