Academia Open
Vol 9 No 2 (2024): December
Microbiology

Fungi as a Sustainable Solution for Heavy Metal Removal in Wastewater Treatment
Jamur sebagai Solusi Berkelanjutan untuk Menghilangkan Logam Berat dalam Pengolahan Air Limbah


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  • Roaa Hassan Al-Tayef*,
  • Raad Abdalrazaq Hamdi
Roaa Hassan Al-Tayef
Department of Biology, College of Education for Women, Tikrit University, Tikrit, Iraq *
Raad Abdalrazaq Hamdi
Ministry of Education, Salah al-Din Education Directorate, Iraq

(*) Corresponding Author
Picture in here are illustration from public domain image or provided by the author, as part of their works
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21070/acopen.9.2024.8941
Published May 13, 2024
Keywords
  • Heavy Elements,
  • Aspergillus Terries,
  • Rhizopus Oligosporium,
  • Fungal Biosorption,
  • Non-Living Biomass
How to Cite
Al-Tayef, R. H., & Hamdi, R. A. (2024). Fungi as a Sustainable Solution for Heavy Metal Removal in Wastewater Treatment. Academia Open, 9(2), 10.21070/acopen.9.2024.8941. https://doi.org/10.21070/acopen.9.2024.8941

Copyright (c) 2024 Roaa Hassan Al-Tayef, Raad Abdalrazaq Hamdi

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

This study investigates the ability of non-living fungal biomass from Aspergillus terreus, Rhizopus oligosporus, and Rhizopus arrhizus to reduce heavy metal concentrations in wastewater. Using non-living fungal blocks, the experiment targeted the removal of lead (0.70 ppm), cadmium (0.110 ppm), and copper (0.80 ppm) from wastewater at the Al-Dur district sewage treatment station. Conducted under controlled conditions (25 degrees Celsius, pH 6.5-7.6) over a 24-hour period, the results demonstrated significant reductions in metal concentrations, with statistical significance at P<0.01. These findings suggest that non-living fungal biomass could be a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative for heavy metal remediation in wastewater treatment.

Highlights:

  • Fungal biomass effectively reduces lead, cadmium, copper quickly.
  • Results statistically significant, demonstrating reliability.
  • Sustainable, cost-effective alternative to chemical treatments.

Keywords: Heavy Elements, Aspergillus Terries, Rhizopus Oligosporium, Fungal Biosorption, Non-Living Biomass

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