Filtration of Lead and Arsenic Through Pleurotus ostreatus and Pleurotus djamor Mycelium
Disciplines
Cell and Developmental Biology | Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Toxic heavy metal contamination in water has been known to have detrimental effects on many living organisms. For example, lead contamination can lead to kidney impairment or anemia. Fungal mycelia have the potential to remediate this contamination via adsorption, removing the heavy metals from contaminated water. The goal of this project was to analyze the ability of Pleurotus djamor (pink oyster mushrooms), Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushrooms), and Trametes versicolor (turkey tail) mycelium to adsorb heavy metals as part of a filtration system. The Pleurotus genus has been shown to have adsorptive properties, therefore different species were tested to indicate which has better myco-filtration capacity. Turkey tail mushrooms are commonly used to break down xenobiotics because they secrete the enzyme laccase, which is highly promiscuous and oxidizer capable of degrading complex chemical structures. All three mushroom species were cultured on oak wood pellets and soybean hull in petri dishes (3.8 cm in diameter). Once fully colonized, the discs were removed and prepared for use as a vacuum filtration disc. Mycelial filter discs were separated into two groups: 3 for the 10 ppm (parts per million) of lead and 3 for 50 ppm of lead. 10 ml of water containing lead or arsenic were passed through the filter under a vacuum. Contaminant concentration post filtration was measured via ICP-OES analysis. Preliminary results have shown that the mycelium has been able to remove lead and arsenic from solution. These results indicate that myco-filtration could prove to be a sustainable and cost-effective solution to heavy metal contamination in water.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
CSM - Molecular and Cellular Biology
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Christopher Cornelison
Filtration of Lead and Arsenic Through Pleurotus ostreatus and Pleurotus djamor Mycelium
Toxic heavy metal contamination in water has been known to have detrimental effects on many living organisms. For example, lead contamination can lead to kidney impairment or anemia. Fungal mycelia have the potential to remediate this contamination via adsorption, removing the heavy metals from contaminated water. The goal of this project was to analyze the ability of Pleurotus djamor (pink oyster mushrooms), Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushrooms), and Trametes versicolor (turkey tail) mycelium to adsorb heavy metals as part of a filtration system. The Pleurotus genus has been shown to have adsorptive properties, therefore different species were tested to indicate which has better myco-filtration capacity. Turkey tail mushrooms are commonly used to break down xenobiotics because they secrete the enzyme laccase, which is highly promiscuous and oxidizer capable of degrading complex chemical structures. All three mushroom species were cultured on oak wood pellets and soybean hull in petri dishes (3.8 cm in diameter). Once fully colonized, the discs were removed and prepared for use as a vacuum filtration disc. Mycelial filter discs were separated into two groups: 3 for the 10 ppm (parts per million) of lead and 3 for 50 ppm of lead. 10 ml of water containing lead or arsenic were passed through the filter under a vacuum. Contaminant concentration post filtration was measured via ICP-OES analysis. Preliminary results have shown that the mycelium has been able to remove lead and arsenic from solution. These results indicate that myco-filtration could prove to be a sustainable and cost-effective solution to heavy metal contamination in water.