Need Help!

[Peter Oei & Shan Du]

Jason D Adams <goarmy at selway.umt.edu> wrote:
>I'm a college senior and I am assisting my old high school biology 
>teacher with one of his student's science project.  We are looking for a 
>fungi, yeast, etc, that is able to a)live in highly acidic soil and/or 
>water due to mine tillings and b) able to process and neutralize the toxic 
>soil and water and and reduce its contaminating effects.  Any help would 
>be greatly appreciated.
>
>	Jason A.
>

It depends on which toxic substances are present in the soil,whether it 
is usefull to use micro-organisms for remediation. In literature positive 
results have been claimed for PAH (up to four rings: by bacteria, fungi 
like Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Trametes versicolor can also degrade 
PAH with more than 5 rings)

Another mushroom you could try is Stropharia rugoso-annulata, which can 
be easily ordered from a spawn manufacturer.

For other substances like PCB's and creosoot, mineral oil etc. it seems 
also possible to use micro-organisms, butthese have been studied less. 


Peter Oei

P.S. If heavy metals are present in the soil (not uncommon after mining 
practices) its no use to go for the bioremidiation option.