The BBC recently featured an article about Redhouse’s Biocycler program, which aims to reduce pollution and combat climate change using one of nature’s oldest: fungi. This is the emerging field called mycoremediation, and I am jazzed to learn more about it.
An excerpt from the article reads:
“As primary decomposers in the environment, many species of fungi are designed to break down complex carbon chain molecules like wood, composed of lignin and cellulose,” says ecologist Brendan O’Brien, executive director of CoRenewal, a bioremediation non-profit. In order to do so, they produce enzymes to break the bonds of those complex molecules, he says. “They are therefore often able to break down other persistent organic pollutants with similar chemical structures.”
Fungi have been observed breaking down pollutants such as petroleum, “forever chemicals” known as PFAS, herbicides, and pesticides. By sequestering and immobilizing contaminants like heavy metals in their tissues, fungi can even help eliminate lead.
Redhouse takes advantage of the bioremediation properties of fungi to extract noxious waste (such as heavy metals and other toxins) from demolition sites. These toxins are extracted and captured in the mushrooms that grow, while the substrate leftovers, including the mycelium, are compacted and heated to create clean bricks for new construction. The resulting “mycoblocks” have a consistency akin to hardwood and, depending on the specifics of the manufacturing process, have been shown to be significantly stronger than concrete.
Check out the rest of the article here.