Mycoremediation: A Sustainable Approach to Curb Emerging Pollutants
摘要
Pollutants like pharmaceuticals, plastics, personal care products (cosmetics, soaps, dyes, detergents, shampoos), pesticides and heavy metals were manufactured to lead a comfortable life, keep us healthy and ensure food and material supply for the growing human population. These pollutants are released into the environment and degrade the terrestrial and aquatic environment. Many methods were developed to mitigate these pollutants that led to negative effects and created havoc in the environment. Today, fungi and its role in bioremediation are cost effective and eco-friendly and have drawn attention all over the world. It shows more resistance to higher level of contamination compared to bacteria and algae. There are many fungal species that degrade these pollutants without effecting the environment. Some of the fungal species like Trametes versicolar, Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Asperigillus sydowii degrade pesticides. Fomes fomentarius, Phyllotopsis nidulans and Hypholoma fasciculare can degrade pharmaceuticals and personal care products. Asperigillus clavatus, Asperigillus flavus, and Asperigillus terreus degrade polyethylene. Fusarium solani and Schizophyllum commune degrade polychlorinated biphenyls. Asperigillus flavus degrades dyes and surfactants. This book chapter explains the current literature of various fungal species that degrade the emerging pollutants, highlights the role of enzymes in pollutant degradation and throws light on mechanism of mycoremediation against emerging pollutants for sustainability.