Heavy Metal Biosorption Ability of EPS Obtained from Cultures of Fusarium culmorum Strains with Different Effects on Cereals

To develop a strategy for sustainable bioremediation of heavy metal-contaminated environments, it is necessary to understand the mechanisms of remediation using microorganisms. A huge bioremediation potential is possessed by fungi. Fusarium culmorum, with their wide range of plant hosts, can be the basis for creating sustainable phytoremediation technologies and for creating sustainable agriculture methods. Exopolymers (EPSs) produced by F. culmorum can be excellent metal sorbents and basic factors in the biosorption mechanism. The sorption capacities of zinc, lead, and cadmium by the EPS of a pathogenic DEMFc37 strain and two non-pathogenic strains (PGPF-DEMFc2 and DRMO-DEMFc5) were compared, and the effects of these metals on EPS synthesis by the three strains was determined. EPS samples were chemically characterised in regards to their sugar, protein, and phenolic compound contents and used to study metal binding. The concentrations of metals bound/adsorbed to EPS were determined by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. The EPSs of all the strains bound more than 80% of Zn, as well as 64–84% of Cd and 74–79% of Pb. Thus, it has been clearly shown that the use of F. culmorum EPSs can be the basis for creating sustainable bioremediation, including phytoremediation.