LAUSR

Abstract Chloramphenicol (CAP) is a micropollutant that resists to conventional residual water treatment. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess CAP biodegradability by five endophytic fungi strains isolated from Bertholletia excelsa collected in the Brazilian Amazonia. The fungi strains were screened in solid and liquid medium, and then experimental design was performed to optimize culture conditions. In addition, an environmental toxicology assessment was carried out using the algae Chlorella vulgaris. Results from fungi cultures in solid medium demonstrated that CAP affected the strains growth and interfered in the development of conidia and spores. The biodegradation in liquid culture medium showed that all strains increased the degradation of this antibiotic. The most efficient strain Trichoderma sp. (BIORG 7) was subjected to an experimental design (Box-behnken) consisted of 15 experiments, having as variables: pH, time, and CAP concentration, and reaching 30% biodegradation determined by HPLC-UV analyses (24 h, pH 7.0 and 150 mg L−1). The main metabolite 4-nitrobenzaldehyde was identified by GC-MS analyses and presented a higher ecotoxicity to green algae than CAP.