What mycoremediation is
Mycoremediation is a branch of bioremediation in which fungi are used to break down pollutants. Most often this involves species that secrete powerful extracellular enzymes — laccases, peroxidases, cytochromes P450. These enzymes can cleave complex organic molecules, including ones bacteria handle poorly.
What problems it addresses
Areas where mycoremediation has shown results in laboratory and field experiments:
- breakdown of crude-oil components and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons;
- degradation of organochlorine pesticides and some synthetic dyes;
- sorption of heavy metals (cadmium, lead, arsenic) by fungal biomass;
- filtration of contaminated water through mycelial mats.
What is important to keep in mind
The effectiveness of a given strain depends on the environment: pH, temperature, oxygen availability, pollutant concentration. There is no "universal" fungus for every situation, and industrial schemes usually rely on a mix of species and careful condition selection. These caveats appear both in academic publications and in materials from commercial companies promoting such solutions.
For an adapted review of Stamets's book, where mycoremediation is described as one of the four key roles of mycelium, see Mycelium Running.