Utilization of fungi for biotreatment of raw wastewaters

Abstract

Fungal biomasses are capable of treating metal-contaminated effluents with efficiencies several orders
of magnitude superior to activated carbon (F-400) or the industrial resin Dowex-50. Additionally, fungal
biomasses are susceptible to engineering improvements and regeneration of their capabilities. With
regard to organic pollutants, excessive nutrients and dyes, fungi can remove them from wastewaters,
leading to a decrease in their toxicities. However, the detoxification rates seem to be dependent on
media and culture conditions. The postreatement by anaerobic bioprocesses of effluents that have
been pretreated with fungi can lead to higher biogas than the original effluents. In addition to the
degradation of organic pollutants, fungi produce added-value products such as enzymes (LiP, MnP,
Lacc, amylase, etc.) and single-cell protein (SCP). Most research on fungal capacities to purify polluted
effluents has been performed on a laboratory scale, hence there is a need to extend such research to
pilot scale and to apply it to industrial processes.