Mining can affect water in several ways. Exposed rock and mine waste may contribute acidity, dissolved metals and sulfate to drainage, while processing activities can add suspended solids or other site-specific contaminants. The resulting water may threaten streams, groundwater, soils and aquatic life if it is not properly managed. Fungi are being considered as one … Read more
Complex organic pollutants can be difficult to manage because they may be chemically stable, poorly soluble, strongly attached to soil, or present in mixtures. Conventional treatment can be effective, but it may also require substantial energy, specialist equipment, or the movement of contaminated material. Fungal treatment offers another possible tool: one that uses the natural … Read more
Mycofiltration is an approach to water treatment that uses fungi, usually through their thread-like growth known as mycelium, to help capture, transform, or reduce pollutants. In industrial wastewater management, it is best understood as a potential treatment component rather than a universal replacement for established physical, chemical, and biological processes. Interest in mycofiltration comes from … Read more
Legacy mines can leave behind contaminated soil, waste rock, tailings and water long after extraction has stopped. Common concerns include acidity, dissolved metals, elevated sediment loads and unstable waste materials. Remediation is rarely a single treatment: a responsible plan may combine source control, water management, engineered containment, chemical treatment, vegetation and long-term monitoring. Fungi are … Read more
Fungal biomass is increasingly considered as a practical material for supporting the treatment of contaminated water and other industrial streams. In this context, the term refers to fungal material that can interact with dissolved pollutants and hold them on its surface or within its structure. The biomass may be living, but many treatment concepts use … Read more
Fungal enzymes are attracting interest as a possible tool for industrial remediation: the treatment of contaminated soil, water, sediments, or process residues. Their appeal is straightforward. Fungi produce enzymes that can break down complex organic materials, and some of these enzymes may also act on chemical pollutants. In the right conditions, this could support treatment … Read more
Industrial mycoremediation is the use of fungi, fungal mycelium, fungal enzymes or fungal biomass to reduce the concentration, toxicity, mobility or bioavailability of contaminants in soil, water, sediment and waste materials. The approach draws on fungi’s natural abilities to decompose complex organic matter, interact with metals and form extensive networks through porous materials. Fungi may … Read more
Laboratory research is where many mycoremediation ideas begin. In a flask, column, soil jar or small reactor, researchers can determine whether a fungal strain tolerates a contaminant, transforms it, or captures it on living or dead biomass. These studies are essential because they reveal mechanisms, identify promising organisms and generate the kinetic and toxicity data … Read more
Fungal biosorption is a method for removing dissolved metal ions from water by using fungal biomass as a binding material. It is important to define this process accurately: metals cannot be biodegraded or destroyed in the way that many organic pollutants potentially can. Biological treatment may change a metal’s chemical form, oxidation state, solubility, mobility … Read more
Hydrocarbon contamination occurs when compounds made primarily of carbon and hydrogen enter soil, sediment, surface water or groundwater. In environmental work, the term often refers to petroleum contamination from crude oil and refined products. Common sources include oil spills, leaking storage tanks and pipelines, gasoline, diesel, kerosene, jet fuel, lubricating oils, used motor oil, refinery … Read more