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Mycoremediation of Flotation Tailings with Agaricus bisporus

Summary

This research explored using common button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) to clean up industrial waste containing metals and other contaminants. The mushrooms were grown in contaminated soil and tested for their ability to absorb various harmful elements. The study shows promise for using mushrooms as an eco-friendly way to clean up industrial pollution. Impacts on everyday life: – Offers a natural solution for cleaning up industrial contamination – Demonstrates potential for more sustainable waste management practices – Shows how common mushrooms can be used for environmental cleanup – Highlights new ways to protect soil and water quality – Provides insights into safer methods for handling industrial waste

Background

Mycoremediation, as a form of bioremediation using fungi, offers an eco-friendly and cost-effective technique for decontaminating polluted environmental matrices. The process utilizes fungi’s enzymatic and bioaccumulation capabilities to either transform organic pollutants into non-toxic compounds or accumulate toxic elements. Industrial activities like metal processing generate hazardous wastes including flotation tailings that pose serious environmental concerns, necessitating effective remediation solutions.

Objective

To evaluate the mycoremediation ability of Agaricus bisporus cultivated on compost mixed with flotation tailings in different quantities (1, 5, 10, 15, and 20% addition). The study aimed to determine the biomass of fruit bodies and analyze the content of 51 major and trace elements to assess the fungus’s effectiveness in remediating contaminated substrates.

Results

A. bisporus showed selective accumulation capacity for various elements. The first flush yielded lower biomass with increasing tailings content, while the second flush showed higher biomass in moderate concentrations. The fungus effectively accumulated several elements (BAF > 1) including Ag, Au, B, Cu, Ga, Ge, In, Ir, K, Mg, Pd, Pt, Re, Rh, Ru, Sb, Se, and Te. The presence of toxic elements did not cause visible adverse symptoms in the mushrooms. Higher concentrations of rare earth elements and platinum group elements were observed with increased tailings addition.

Conclusion

A. bisporus demonstrates potential for practical application in mycoremediation, particularly for media contaminated with specific elements that the fungus can efficiently absorb. While the accumulation efficiency wasn’t spectacular enough for element recovery, the study confirms the species’ ability to selectively accumulate certain elements. Further large-scale testing is needed before industrial implementation, and care must be taken with substrates containing high levels of arsenic and cadmium due to their effective accumulation by the fungus.
  • Published in:Journal of Fungi,
  • Study Type:Laboratory Experiment,
  • Source: 10.3390/jof8080883
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