A Potencial use of edible mushrooms Pleurotus ostreatoroseus Singer (Pleurotaceae) and Lentinus sajor-caju (Fr.) Fr. (Polyporaceae) in metal remediation processes.

Abstract

Increased heavy metal pollution generated through anthropogenic activities into the environment required the need for environmental recovery strategies, such as mycoremediation. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of iron (Fe) in the mycelial growth of Pleurotus ostreatoroseus Singer and Lentinus sajor-caju (Fr.) Fr. The growth response was evaluated on Potato Dextrose Agar medium with varying concentrations (0 ppm, 10 ppm, 20 ppm, 40 ppm and 80 ppm) of the iron metal. Ferrous sulfate heptahydrate (FeSO4.7H2O) were evaluated in this study. The daily mycelia growths were measured and compared. The biomass production was determined using the same plates of the evaluation of the growth of mycelia. Results revealed that the growth of mycelia of P. ostreatoroseus occurs slowly in medium containing different iron concentrations, but in relationship to L. sajor-caju was able to produce the largest mycelial dry mass. Overall this study suggests that P. ostreatosroseus can be used as promising option for removal of iron metal in bioremediation strategies.