Mycoremediation

Mycoremediation uses fungi and their enzymes to remove, immobilize, or transform contaminants in soil, water, or other environments.

White-rot fungi: Fungi that decompose lignin using powerful extracellular oxidative enzymes. Their lignin-degrading enzymes can also break down persistent organic pollutants.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: Organic compounds made of multiple fused aromatic rings, often formed during incomplete combustion. White-rot fungi have been studied for degrading these persistent soil pollutants.
Bioremediation: The use of organisms or their processes to reduce environmental contamination. Mycoremediation is the fungal branch of this broader cleanup approach.
Phytoremediation: The use of plants to remove, stabilize, or transform environmental contaminants. Plants and fungi differ in where they grow, what they absorb, and how they treat pollutants.
Bioremediation monitoring: The measurement of contaminant levels and biological activity during and after bioremediation. Monitoring distinguishes actual pollutant destruction from temporary disappearance or redistribution.
Lignin peroxidase: An extracellular enzyme that oxidizes lignin and a range of other aromatic compounds. It can attack pollutant molecules beyond the fungi’s usual plant-litter substrates.
Petroleum hydrocarbon degradation: The breakdown of petroleum-derived hydrocarbons by biological or chemical processes. Fungi can transform some oil constituents in contaminated soils and shorelines.
Mycology: The scientific study of fungi, including their biology, ecology, and classification. Fungal biology explains the growth conditions and species choices behind remediation.
Bacterial bioremediation: The use of bacteria to degrade or immobilize environmental contaminants. Bacteria can outperform fungi for some pollutants and conditions, while fungal enzymes reach other substrates.
Pollutant mineralization: The conversion of an organic pollutant into inorganic end products such as carbon dioxide and water. Partial fungal transformation may leave toxic intermediates rather than fully detoxifying a pollutant.

Linked from 11 pages