Myco-Treatment of Marine Oil Spills

Overview

Responses to oil spills include; leaving spills undisturbed, removing with skimmers/ sorbents, breaking-up spills with dispersants or introducing biological agents to enhance oil degradation. Research goals included the following evaluations: 1) oil sorption potential of mushroom tissues; 2) mushroom exudates as dispersal agents and 3) oil remediation by mushroom hyphae. Artist's conk, oyster and shiitake mushrooms were studied as oil spill treatments using Prudhoe Bay crude oil and gasoline. Oil sorption studies used fresh and dried mushroom tissues. Oil dispersal was studied under active water conditions. Analyses of water accommodated and chemically enhanced water fractions were run. Gasoline-contaminated seawater was remediated with mushroom spawn and analyzed for BTEX and overall toxicity. Oil sorption [oil g/g] results included dried oysters (0.37) and dried shiitake caps (0.46) and gills (2.22). Oil dispersal occurred at a 1/10 dispersant/oil ratio in active water conditions. The chemically enhanced water fraction (CE-WAF) showed increased petroleum hydrocarbons (11% diesel range and 42% motor oil range) with oyster exudate, indicating oil dispersal into the water column. In remediated seawater, total petroleum hydrocarbons were lowered >60ppb by oyster and shiitake spawn. Bioassays showed enhanced shrimp survival (77%) in oyster mushroom remediated water. Mushrooms show promise as a multi-functional response to oil spills.

Competition history

• AJAS 2018 Category not listed

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