Research Keyword: Heavy metal contamination

Native Fungi as a Nature-Based Solution to Mitigate Toxic Metal(loid) Accumulation in Rice

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Researchers tested whether beneficial fungi from contaminated rice paddies could help reduce toxic metal buildup in rice plants. When rice was grown in heavy metal-contaminated soil under alternate wet and dry conditions and treated with native fungi, arsenic levels dropped dramatically by up to 75%. This nature-based approach offers a sustainable way to grow safe food in polluted soils without expensive chemical treatments.

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Pb immobilization by phosphate-solubilizing fungi and fluorapatite under different Mn2+ concentrations

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Researchers studied how two types of beneficial fungi (Aspergillus niger and Penicillium chrysogenum) can remove dangerous lead contamination from environments. By adding the mineral fluorapatite and controlling the level of manganese in the growth medium, they found that Aspergillus niger was much more effective at capturing and permanently locking up lead particles, preventing them from leaching back into the environment. The optimal amount of manganese (7.5 mg/L) significantly boosted the fungi’s production of organic acids that capture lead, making this an environmentally friendly solution for cleaning polluted sites.

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Bibliometric analysis of European publications between 2001 and 2016 on concentrations of selected elements in mushrooms

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Researchers reviewed 200 European studies from 2001-2016 examining how mushrooms absorb heavy metals from soil. They found that mushrooms, especially edible species, can accumulate dangerous metals like cadmium, lead, and mercury, with the highest contamination in mushrooms from polluted industrial areas. Turkey, Poland, Spain, and Czech Republic led research efforts on this topic. Scientists increasingly used health risk assessment methods to determine safe consumption levels of mushrooms from different habitats.

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Soil health alterations via compost additions to natural and remediated heavy metal-contaminated mineland soils

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Abandoned mining sites in Missouri left contaminated soils that couldn’t support plant growth. Researchers tested whether adding compost could restore these soils to health comparable to natural prairie. They found that applying 180 tons of compost per hectare successfully restored soil quality and plant growth while keeping heavy metal levels safe for livestock, making it an effective and affordable solution for healing mining-damaged lands.

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Arsenic Stress Resistance in the Endophytic Fungus Cladosporium cladosporioides: Physiological and Transcriptomic Insights into Heavy Metal Detoxification

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Researchers discovered a special fungus called Cladosporium cladosporioides living inside the roots of Gentiana yunnanensis, a traditional Chinese medicinal herb. This fungus is remarkably good at tolerating and neutralizing arsenic, a toxic heavy metal found in contaminated soils. The fungus uses multiple strategies to protect itself from arsenic damage, including moving the arsenic to its cell walls, converting it into less toxic forms, and activating protective defense systems.

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Assessment of the Impact of Metals in Wild Edible Mushrooms from Dambovita County, Romania, on Human Health

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This study examined 18 types of wild mushrooms commonly eaten in Romania to measure their metal content. Researchers found that while mushrooms provide important minerals like iron and zinc, some species accumulate harmful metals like cadmium and chromium. Children are at greater risk from eating these mushrooms than adults because their smaller bodies absorb proportionally more of the contaminants. Some mushroom species pose significant cancer risks from metal exposure.

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