Chapter 9
Mycoremediation: An Elimination of Metal
and Non-metal Inclusions from Polluted Soil
Jegadeesh Raman, Jang Kab-Yeul, Hariprasath Lakshmanan,
Kong Won-Sik, and Babu Gajendran
Abstract Soil is a natural resource of the ecosystem, comprising of solids (minerals), living (organic materials), air and water. Soil is the base for land plants and all
other habitats. In recent years, the soil ecosystem has been contaminated by a high
concentration of metal and non-metal deposition. For ecological concern, the elimination and detoxification of pollutants are warranted. Several technologies have
been developed to tackle soil remediation. Mycoremediation is a new technology in
the bioremediation process, which can be practiced with fungus for the management
of polluted soil and water. Fungi based approach is considered as eco-friendly, costeffective and one of the promising methods. Fungi are eukaryotic organisms with
heterotrophic food habits and absorb food from the environment/host through
digestive enzymes. They can eliminate/detoxify the environmental pollutants, like
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, plastic, heavy metals, and other inclusions. Most
of the saprophytic fungi are involved in the bioremediation process, and they obtain
nutrients by degradation/decomposing. Accordingly, they can be classified as
brown-rot and white-rot and litter decomposing fungi. Mycoremediation relies on
the efficient enzymes, produced by ligninolytic and non-ligninolytic fungi, for the
degradation of various substrates and pollutants. Besides, the white-rot fungi and
arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can be used to treat organic/inorganic contaminants,
J. Raman (*)
Department of Biochemical and Polymer Engineering, Chosun University,
Gwangju, Republic of Korea
Mushroom Research Division, National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science,
Rural Development Administration, Eumsung, Republic of Korea
J. Kab-Yeul · K. Won-Sik
Mushroom Research Division, National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science,
Rural Development Administration, Eumsung, Republic of Korea
H. Lakshmanan
Department of Biochemistry, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Coimbatore, India
B. Gajendran
State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants and Chinese Academy
of Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
S. Rajendran et al. (eds.), Metal, Metal-Oxides and Metal-Organic Frameworks for
Environmental Remediation, Environmental Chemistry for a Sustainable World 64,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68976-6_9
239
Mycoremediation: An Elimination of Metal
and Non-metal Inclusions from Polluted Soil
Jegadeesh Raman, Jang Kab-Yeul, Hariprasath Lakshmanan,
Kong Won-Sik, and Babu Gajendran
Abstract Soil is a natural resource of the ecosystem, comprising of solids (minerals), living (organic materials), air and water. Soil is the base for land plants and all
other habitats. In recent years, the soil ecosystem has been contaminated by a high
concentration of metal and non-metal deposition. For ecological concern, the elimination and detoxification of pollutants are warranted. Several technologies have
been developed to tackle soil remediation. Mycoremediation is a new technology in
the bioremediation process, which can be practiced with fungus for the management
of polluted soil and water. Fungi based approach is considered as eco-friendly, costeffective and one of the promising methods. Fungi are eukaryotic organisms with
heterotrophic food habits and absorb food from the environment/host through
digestive enzymes. They can eliminate/detoxify the environmental pollutants, like
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, plastic, heavy metals, and other inclusions. Most
of the saprophytic fungi are involved in the bioremediation process, and they obtain
nutrients by degradation/decomposing. Accordingly, they can be classified as
brown-rot and white-rot and litter decomposing fungi. Mycoremediation relies on
the efficient enzymes, produced by ligninolytic and non-ligninolytic fungi, for the
degradation of various substrates and pollutants. Besides, the white-rot fungi and
arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can be used to treat organic/inorganic contaminants,
J. Raman (*)
Department of Biochemical and Polymer Engineering, Chosun University,
Gwangju, Republic of Korea
Mushroom Research Division, National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science,
Rural Development Administration, Eumsung, Republic of Korea
J. Kab-Yeul · K. Won-Sik
Mushroom Research Division, National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science,
Rural Development Administration, Eumsung, Republic of Korea
H. Lakshmanan
Department of Biochemistry, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Coimbatore, India
B. Gajendran
State Key Laboratory of Functions and Applications of Medicinal Plants and Chinese Academy
of Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
S. Rajendran et al. (eds.), Metal, Metal-Oxides and Metal-Organic Frameworks for
Environmental Remediation, Environmental Chemistry for a Sustainable World 64,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68976-6_9
239