Mycoremediation: An Emerging Technology for Mitigating Environmental Contaminants

Abstract

AbstractMycoremediation is a technique that transmutes toxic, recalcitrant pollutants into environmentally safe products by organic treatments. It is a green method for cleaning up polluted sites. Because of a breakthrough in technology, exceedingly harmful contaminants are persistently released into the environment via industries. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heavy metals, polychlorinated, and pharmaceutical compounds (PhC) are mutagenic. They are freed by petroleum refineries, textile mills, and vehicle exhaust. Human exposure has risen because of their rampant use in certain industrial, agricultural, and domestic fields. Recently, there has been a growing ecological and global public health concern accompanying environmental contamination. The traditional methods applied to remove them pose risk to the ecosystem. Remediation of polluted sites has become a center of attention within society because of accelerating public awareness. The theory of mycoremediation has come up from the chief role of fungi within the ecosystem, which is to decompose. Nonetheless, the dominating biomass in soil are fungi, which still have not been exploited aptly for mycoremediation. Microfungi and macrofungi both contribute to the feasibility of mycoremediation. Their wealthy enzyme compositions assist the process. The objective of this chapter is to review the role of contaminants on the environment as well as to focus on the part of fungi in eliminating them. We have discussed in detail the various works and the contemporary advancements; futuristic omics approaches that are in the midst of progress.