Pleurotus ostreatus spent mushroom substrate for the degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: the case study of a pilot dynamic biopile for the decontamination of a historically contaminated soil

Abstract

BACKGROUND Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are hazardous contaminants. Bio‐based technology is among recommended practices for the recovery of PAH contaminated matrices. The objective of the study was to validate the exploitation of spent mushroom substrate (SMS), an organic waste deriving from the industrial production of Pleurotus ostreatus, as bulking agent in a dynamic biopile pilot plant, because of the SMS potential oxidative capacity towards aromatic recalcitrant compounds. The dynamic biopile pilot plant treated 7 tons of a historically PAH contaminated soil (6469 ± 423 mg PAHs kg−1), classified as dangerous waste. RESULTS The mixing of SMS with soil was mandatory for the depletion of PAHs, which after 8 months, were at significantly lower concentrations (112 ± 5 mg PAHs kg−1). The treated soil was capable of reintroduction to the industrial site of origin. However, a residual genotoxicity of soil elutriates at the end of the process was measured on root tips of Vicia faba L. CONLUSIONS The SMS derived from the industrial production of P. ostreatus is exploitable as a versatile low cost organic substrate with oxidative capacity towards PAHs and its exploitation as a bulking agent in biopiles is advantageous for the disposal of the organic waste. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry

Recycling of spent mushroom substrate: Utilization as feed material for the larvae of the yellow mealworm Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

“…SMS has been used as a substrate for culturing the same or other edible fungi [8,9] and has been used for producing bacteria [10]. Due to its loose porous structure and unique biological properties, SMS can also be used as a biosorbent [11,12] in wastewater treatment [13] or for the microbial degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons for environmental protection [14]. The other utilities of SMS include the prevention of biofouling [15], substrate for vermicomposting and pest management [5].…”

Mycoremediation of PCBs by Pleurotus ostreatus: Possibilities and Prospects

“…It is the niche for active microbial community composed of fungi and bacteria [57,58]. Thus, application of SMS in bioremediation processes has been probed, and the ability of the SMS and its inherent microbiota to transform different contaminants has been reported [59][60][61]. SMS from P. ostreatus was previously validated as a low-cost organic substrate for remediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-contaminated soil [62,63].…”

Mycoremediation of Old and Intermediate Landfill Leachates with an Ascomycete Fungal Isolate, Lambertella sp.

“…Fungi may be exploited for their oxidative capacities towards compounds recalcitrant to bacterial degradation [28,29]. In particular, many Basidiomycete fungi have been applied in the reduction of the COD of synthetic and real LFLs, because they secrete a battery of extracellular, lignin-degrading enzymes with low substrate specificity [2,24,25,30], which enable fungi to transform recalcitrant phenolic and/or aromatic compounds in different environmental matrices [31][32][33].…”