Fungal Bioreactor System: Heavy Metal Removal from Mining-Influenced Waters

With thousands of abandoned mine sites across the United States, the effects of mining waste on natural water bodies can be seen in both ecological and human health. Mycoremediation, the use of fungi for contaminant removal, is a potential new technology that can be utilized to combat the presence of heavy metals in a variety of water bodies. The implementation of a low impact system containing the fungi species Rhizopus oryzae and Pleurotus ostreatus has had 95% removal rates for Copper, Zinc, and Manganese.