BioneersYouth

YOU are amazing.  Thank you for your work in the world.  And your heart in the world.

Mia Rose ---- In addition to deepening your knowledge and awareness of fungi on mycoremediation at Sonoma State, you might want to consider studying more of the other types of phytoremediation, specifically to include the following (in my book, "Solving Global Water Crises," pages 529-530):

** Phytoextraction --- Using living plants to extract and remove pollutant compounds from teh soil and water.

** Phytoaccumulation --- When plants uptake and accumulate pollutants in their tissues because they are not able to degrade the compounds rapidly or completely. Some plants can hyperaccumulate metals (e.g., nickel, zinc, mercury, chromium, copper) in teh process of remediating contaminated soils and water.

*** Phytopumping ---- This process uses plants as biological pumps to suck up large volumes of contaminated water. By using the evapotranspiration process, plants can "pump" large amounts of water from the soil and reduce migration of the contaminants in groundwater (e.g., the willow tree, Salix spp., may uptake up to 200 liters of water daily and, therefore, may be ideal for phytopumping toxic plumes out of the groundwater).

*** Phytostabilization --- This process uses plant roots' exudates (which causes metals to precipitate, thus reducing their bioavailability) and ability to change soil environmental conditions (such as pH and soil-moisture content) to minimize contaminant migration in soils. But this process is different from phytopumping because no disposal of the toxics-laden plant materials is necessary, as the pollutants are stabilized in the soil and, therefore, has minimal interaction with surrounding organisms and microorganisms.

*** Phytotransformation/Phytodegradation --- Plant enzymes or enzyme cofactors are used to degrade and eliminate contaminant compounds. For example, researchers have found that polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been metabolized by sterile plant tissues; phenols have been degraded by peroxidase-containing plants such as horseradish, potato, and white radish; and that poplar trees can transform trichloroethylene in soil and groundwater. .....

*** Phytovolatilization ---- This is the mechanism by which plants convert pollutants in soil or water into a volatile form so as to be removed inexpensively from sites. Researchers have found that plants (possibly in combination with microorganisms) can transform selenium into dimethyl selenide, a less toxic and more volatile form of selenium.

*** Rhizofiltration and Rhizodegradation --- This process is based on a symbiotic relationship between bacteria and fungal organisms in certain vascular plants' rhizosphere, an area of microbial hyperactivity.  By modifying the geochemical environment in the rhizosphere---with roots infiltrating and aerating the soil to stimulate a zone of amplified microbial activity and density at the root surface for the microbial biodegradation of pollutants---leguminous plants provide ideal settings for plant-microbe interactions that facilitate bioremediation. Researchers have found that the mechanism of rhizofiltration can be used to treat heavy metals, organic chemicals, etc., in soils and waters.

Good luck in pursuing your Master's and in completing your thesis.