Fungi in Bioremediation [Paperback]

An authoritative account of the application of fungi to the treatment of environmental pollution.Bioremediation is an expanding area of environmental research and may be defined as the application of biological processes to the treatment of pollution. This book provides an authoritative account of the role of fungi in bioremediation. The ability of fungi to decompose organic materials and their filamentous growth means that they are suited to a wide variety of remediation contexts, including some in association with plants. The biology and chemistry of pollutant transformations, including potential applications for in situ and ex situ treatments, are discussed.Bioremediation is an expanding area of environmental research and may be defined as the application of biological processes to the treatment of pollution. This book provides an authoritative account of the role of fungi in bioremediation. The ability of fungi to decompose organic materials and their filamentous growth means that they are suited to a wide variety of remediation contexts, including some in association with plants. The biology and chemistry of pollutant transformations, including potential applications for in situ and ex situ treatments, are discussed.Bioremediation research has concentrated on organic pollutants, although the range of substances that can be transformed or detoxified by microorganisms includes both natural and synthetic organic materials and inorganic pollutants. The majority of applications developed to date involve bacteria, with a distinct lack of appreciation of the potential roles and involvement of fungi in bioremediation, despite clear evidence of their metabolic and morphological versatility. This book highlights the potential of filamentous fungi, including mycorrhizas, in bioremediation and discusses the physiology and chemistry of pollutant transformations.List of contributors; Preface; 1. Degradation of plant cell wall polymers Christine S. Evans and John N. Hedger; 2ló½