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Controlled Burning: Prescribed Fire
from Living Systems
by TD Garden
Toxic Filtration via Fungi
Launch Stratify Fluid Grooming Digestive Translate MycoreMediation //
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Mycofiltration is a term coined by mycologist Paul Stamets that refers to the use of mycelium mats as biological filters for the purpose of toxic soil remediation. Mycelium is the vegetative part of a fungus consisting of a vast network of fine filaments that exists below the ground, permeating the soil. It is a saprophyte that works symbiotically with nearly all plants, by breaking down biomass and chemical compounds into their basic constituents, providing nutrients for plant uptake.
Together with Battelle Laboratories, a non-profit foundation in the bioremediation industry, Stamets has been developing a patent for the utilization of mycelia to decompose toxic waste, a process termed Mycoremediation. The research work is based on the fact that mycelium produces enzymes and acids that break down woody plants into lignin and cellulose, and decompose hydrocarbons, the base structure present in oils, petroleum products, pesticides, PCBs (Polychlorinated biphenyls), and many other pollutants.
Stamets-Battelle studies have shown that oyster mushrooms can break down heavy oil, consisting of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, into non-toxic components. Other strains of fungi can fully consume E. coli bacteria. The Stamets-Battelle research also showed that as the mushrooms rot, a sequence of other biological processes ensues. Flies populate the area, consuming the fungus; those attract other insects, which in turn bring in birds; the birds disperse seeds, enhancing plant cultivation and diversity.
The growth momentum of mycelia is tremendous. Mycelial mass can grow outwards at a rate of ¼ – 2in/day (1– 5cm), with some individual fungus covering more than 20,000ac (8,094ha). Rapid site coverage is highly efficient for soil remediation. The Stamets-Battelle team poses buffer zones around streams as ideal sites for Mycoremediation. Around stream buffers, debris from trees and shrubs, combined with grasses provide a rich biomass supply, while mycelia filters out runoff from adjacent farms, highways and suburban zones.
Research: Paul Stamets, Fungi Perfecti + Battelle Laboratories
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