What is Mycoremediation?

Mycoremediation is the process of allying with fungi to rehabilitate and restore ecosystems that have been impacted by pollution and environmental degradation (Stamets, 2005). The fungi act as catalysts in this healing process, facilitating both the removal and breakdown of a wide range of toxins and toxicants. Mycofiltration, which is the category of mycoremediation that fungal inoculated myco-socks are classified under, is the remediation of the aforementioned contaminants from water specifically. In order to access their food source, fungi naturally secrete many different types of enzymes that can oxidize, combust, and break down a substrate on a molecular level (Prakash, 2017).

 

This same concept applies when the fungus is approached with a contaminant. The enzymes molecularly disassemble the chemical compounds, making it possible for the fungi to then metabolize the carbon sugars left over from the process to use as an energy source. Fungi also have an incredibly high surface area to volume ratio, allowing them to either absorb nutrients or secrete enzymes in extremely high amounts simultaneously. In addition to these services, the mycelium provides habitat for other beneficial and pollutant degrading microbes and bacteria that assist in the remediation process (Purohit et. al., 2018).