Mushroom as a form of Bioremediation

Indefenzo, Esmeralda Marie*; Aducal, Jeavia; Enayo, Hannah Krizia; Munoz, Gian Romulo;
Sempio, Jenard Christopher
National University – Nazareth School
*eats_esme@yahoo.com

Keywords: mushroom, bioremediation, mycoremediation, contaminated soil

 Introduction

Background of the study

The year 1969, a storm hit the whole city of Florence Italy, 74% of the isolates originated

from the conserved fresco that was located in Ognissanti church and were discovered as

Aspergillus versicolor (Rhodes, 2013). A correct kind of fungal must be used to have an

effective mycoremediation (Matsubara et al., 2006). In line with Singh (2006), an organic

pollutant are still available in a thorough outline of a research literature, that is connected an

explanation “Mycelium running: how mushrooms can change the world” (Stamets, 2005), which

works as a pattern in studying fungi and using it to lessen the poison in the environment.

Mushroom has been an element of wonder to living beings since its discovery due to

unexpected presence along with its fast progress. They have enthralled the society for previous

ages and became a part of a culture with its savor, and fragrance. Contrary to that, it also

threatened people because of its toxin contaminants. Presently, the mushroom was revealed with

several uses which expanded the demand in a market.

Today, mushrooms are becoming more recognized not only on its flavor but because of

the remediation of different types of pollutants and mycelium or fruiting bodies. This has

appealed on the research industry in the field of mushroom development and waste remediation.
Statement of the Research Questions

This study attempts to assess the bioremediation of the mushroom. Primarily, the focus of this

research is on proving if a toxic mushroom can be used as a form of bioremediation to cleanse

the soil. In addition, the difference between before and after it was planted based on the

laboratory results. Researchers aim to answer the following questions:

1. Can the use of toxic mushroom as a form of bioremediation be used to clean contaminated or

polluted soil??

2. How big is the difference between the contaminated soil before and after it is planted with

toxic mushroom based on the lab results?

Research Hypothesis

A.) Alternative Research Hypothesis:

The use of toxic mushroom as a form of bioremediation to clean contaminated or polluted soil is

possible as portrayed in the lab results and shows that there is a significant/minimal decrease in

the contamination level of the soil.

B.) Null Research Hypothesis:

The use of toxic mushroom as a form of bioremediation to clean contaminated or polluted soil is

not possible as lab results show that there is no change in the contamination level before and

after it was planted with toxic mushroom.

Significance of the Study

This study will prove useful to the following entities:

1.) Community - The community may use this paper as a method to cheaply and

productively clean the polluted environment as pollution is one of the main problems of society

nowadays.

2.) Government - The government may use this paper as a basis for future projects in

cleaning our polluted environment. This may also be a basis to different government departments

and use similar method to test on different variables or conditions as they can provide funds

better.

3.) Researchers - other researchers can use the results as support for their ongoing

researches. This research may be a basis for new researches by conducting similar researches but

under different conditions and proving or disproving the results of this paper.

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The study focuses on determining the use of toxic mushroom on how it will cleanse the soil that

been contaminated by chemical. Primarily, the focus of the research is on proving if the toxic

mushroom can be used as a form of bioremediation to cleanse the soil. Although, this study will

be conducted using samples of toxic mushrooms and contaminated soil that will be the subject

of the study. The contaminated soil is mixed with a chemical copper sulfate and nickel sulfate

that been using for the study. The presented study does not cover the edible mushroom and other

kinds of chemicals that will formulate to the bioremediation.

 Literature Review

Introduction of Literature Review

This literature review is very important because this involves different researches that’s

related to our study. This also strengthen the foundation of our study through different aspects

related to the topic. The scope of the review is the same as the topic of our study it only accesses

the use of mushroom through bioremediation that deals with the mushroom specifically the

mycelium part particularly known as mycoremediation. The experiment will be conducted in

different types of soil for determining the presence of mushrooms. Also, the researchers will be

able to observe how mycoremediation processes the transformation of a polluted soil into its

better condition.

Conceptual Literature

 Concept 1 (Mushroom)

There are various kinds of plants that can be used as an effective tool for bioremediation.

Yet this paper focuses on macroscopic filamentous fungi specifically mushroom. Based on the

case study of the 3rd International Conference on Sustainable Remediation (Delgado, Eymar,

D'Annibale, Petruccioli, 2014), fungi have an ability to colonize soil and has the function of

dispersing the bacteria. Mushroom is a fungus that has a features to remediate a contaminated

soil. “Mushroom is a distinctive fruiting body of a macrofungus, which produce spores that can

be either epigeous or hypogeous and large enough to be seen with the naked eye and to be picked

by hand” (Chang & Wasser, 2017). According to the International Code of Nomenclature,

approximately 16,000 species of mushroom exist on Earth. Since mushroom belongs to the fungi

kingdom, its characteristics are distinct from plants and animals. It is not engage in the process of
photosynthesis and does not work for chrolophyll. They are devoid from the vascular phloem

(cell eating) and xylem (cell drinking) that are part on the internal functions of plants.

Mushrooms absorbs oxygen (O2) and release carbon dioxide (CO2). There are different types of

mushroom that is suitable for mycoremediation. There are many importance that are present in

mushroom that can help not just human consumption and health remedies but also the

environment. According to the Earth repair by Leila Darwish, "Fungi are Nature’s decomposers,

responsible for breaking down most of the Earth’s plant and woody material into life giving soil.

Just like they break down complex carbon-based plant cell structures, like cellulose and lignin,

saprophytic fungi use their digestive enzymes to break down chemicals like hydrocarbons and

pesticides. Fungi can break down larger hydrocarbon chains into smaller pieces, allowing for

microorganisms and plants to get to work. Fungi can also extract and hyperaccumulate heavy

metals, concentrating them in the fruiting body of the fungi (what we know as the visible

mushroom)."

 Concept 2 (Bioremediation and Mycoremediation)

Different solutions in treating polluted soil exist. One is the Incineration that is currently

effective for remediation practice but then expensive and costly in terms of energy used.

However, there is one alternative process that is highly recommended because of its naturality,

affordability and effectivity. Rathoure (2017) stated that Bioremediation is a technological

process that is mostly favorable in dealing against hazardous waste through the help and function

of microorganisms such as bascteria or fungi in the environment that is present with perilous

chemicals, transforming it into less toxic or nontoxic substances. In this study, bioremediation

will be tested, relying on the microorgnism which fungi is. The fungi that will be used is

mushroom to test together with the contaminated soil. An ex-situ type of bioremediation or
simply by getting a sample of contaminated soil and test it to a specific area will be used for this

experiment.

In particular, there are types of bioremediation that is applicable in dealing with

contaminants and toxic wastes. According to Earth Repair by Leila Darwish, there are grassroots

bioremediation techniques that can be used, and these are microbial remediation - the use of

microorganisms to break toxic wastes, Phytoremediation- the use of different kinds of plants to

transform toxins and Mycoremediation- the use of fungi to clean soil and water, making

contaminants and chemical wastes turned into less or none. This research study will be using

mushroom for bioremediation, particularly known as mycoremediation in order to undergo

experiment.

Mycoremediation is a bioremedation using mycelium as a medium. It requires a lot of

mycelium for the effective remediation. 2018 Earth Repair article by Darwish stated that

"Mycelium refers to the ultra-fine and dense network of branching thread-like white hyphae that

is the vegetative part of the fungi". It sends out enzymes that shatters chemicals and filtrate other

things. They also added that "From layering mushrooms spawn with contaminated soil and wood

chips, to installing mycofilters to trap contaminants in runoff and polluted water, there are many

different ways to apply mushrooms to earth repair. Grassroots mycoremediators can install

mushroom beds to deal with contaminated soil, decrease erosion, and help recharge and heal

damaged land".

 Concept 3 (Contaminated Soil)

A lot of factors exist that can turn an ordinary soil to a contaminated one. Based on

Adenipekun (2012), synthetic organic compounds have been the reason of the growth of
pollutants in the environment. Sullia (2004) stated that Xenebiotics are mostly the name of these

compounds that is naturally not seen in the boisphere and is being degraded through the

micoflora and fauna. The paper of Adenipekun (2012): "Uses of Mushroom for Bioremediation"

clearly stated that "several classes of chemicals that have been targeted by United States

Environmental Agency (USEPA) as priority pollutants due to their toxic effects on the

environment and human health. These chemicals include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons,

pentachloro-phenols, polychlorinated biphenyls, 1,1,1- trichloro – 2,2 bis (4-chlorophenyl)

ethane, benzene, toluene, ethyl-benzene xylene and trinitrotoluene. Polycyclic aromatic

hydrocarbons (PAH) are recalcitrant environmental contaminants that are generated from the

burning of fossil fuels, coal mining, oil drilling and wood burning (Lau et al., 2003; Verdin et al.,

2004)". These meaningful words by Adenipekun gave knowledge on the type of pollutants that

are present in contaminated soil. In line with these are the factors of main chemicals that makes

the soil polluted by Loske et al. (1990). Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH's) are one of

the contaminants from specifically from oil and coal; Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB's) or the

cooling agents that are used in transformers; and Dioxines that came from chemical

manufacturing and found in combustion processes. Broad factors affect an ordinary soil that is

why an effective remediation is needed. Incineration is currently a technological process

however in too costly and huge. Bioremediation are highly tested and recommended in order to

help polluted soil into less or nontoxic. It breaks out contaminants through fungi particularly the

mycelium of mushroom that is in natural process. Alexander (1994) stated the ability of fungi to

reach and transform those hazardous chemicals through the release of the process of

bioremediation.
Related Studies

The soil is defined as a medium that provides plant growth, and support of both animal

and human life. Soil performs as storage of water and nutrients which the plants need for it to

live (Nortcliff et al., 2006). Mishra et al. (2016) reported that soil contamination emerges due to

soil pollutants which lessens the productivity of soil due to its changes of properties.

Bioremediation is a process which reduces the toxic materials that are found in soil and

water with the help of microorganisms (bioremediators) (Rhodes, 2013).

Mycoremediation is a type of bioremediation that uses fungi and applying them to

eliminate chemical toxins (usually soil), on the applied scale (Asiriuwa et al., 2013).

Fungi are capable of adapting different kinds of dangerous chemicals and has brought

great attention in using bioremediation. According to Rhodes (2012), fungi is one of the main

causes for the decomposition of discarded materials, which is necessary for soil food web. It also

nourishes the ecology that is found in the land surface. As claimed by Ashoka et al. (2002), it has

also improved the study of bioremediation since there is a presence of abrupt growth, it

contributed to the biomass product, and has vast hyphae that aided in developing the

environment.

Mushroom species have an ability in creating food protein through biomass from

different unwanted materials lies degrading waste by releasing a variety of hydrolyzing and

oxidizing enzymes (Kuforiji and Fasidi 2008; Zhu et al. 2013).

The simpliest way in reducing the contamination of soil is to add organic substance

equally to toxic metals that will create coumpounds with the organic materials which can be seen

in compost (Kellogg and Pettigrew, 2005).

Synthesis

This paper speaks about bioremediation with the use of mushroom. This type of

bioremediation particularly known as mycoremediation deals with the use of fungi specifically

the mycelium part. An experiment will be executed to test different types of contaminated soils

through the presence of mushroom and to observe how these mycoremediation will process to

transform polluted soil into its normal and stable condition. This experiment will show how

bioremediation using a specific, natural and affordable mushroom and other organisms will be

effective and make the soil into less or nontoxic that will also help for the better, future

environment.

Conceptual Framework

Mycoremediation as a process of
Bioremediation

Fungal Treatment Remediated Soil

Mushroom Cultivation
 The concept map above shows the processes involved in the conceptual framework. The

sample of contaminated soil will undergo fungal treatment. The fungal treatment will trigger two

related events; mycoremediation and mushroom cultivation. These two are related as one will not

exist without the other. The mycoremediation will not occur if the cultivation of mushroom is not

successful and vice-versa, where they both serve as the decontamination process. These two will

eventually lead to a decontaminated soil.