Oyster mushrooms can effectively remove synthetic dyes from wastewater through a combination of absorption and enzymatic breakdown. Researchers tested Pleurotus ostreatus pellets with a textile dye commonly used as a standard pollutant. The mushroom achieved over 98% dye removal, suggesting it could be used in wastewater treatment systems to clean industrial textile effluent. The fungus both absorbs the dye and produces enzymes that break it down.