Bioaccumulation and biosorption of inorganic nanoparticles: factors affecting the efficiency of nanoparticle mycoextraction by liquid-grown mycelia of Pleurotus eryngii and Trametes versicolor

Nanoparticles (NPs) could reach the food chain from diverse wastes containing these potentially toxic substances. We studied the mycoextraction of alumina (Al2O3) NPs by mycelia of edible fungi: Pleurotus eryngii and Trametes versicolor. Mycelia were cultivated in liquid medium supplemented with alumina nanoparticles (concentrations 0.001-0.1 mol L-1) to investigate accumulation of metal in the mycelium. The accumulation of Al in the mycelium depended on the duration of exposure, biomass of the mycelium and concentration of NPs. The efficiency of alumina-NP removal from the medium depended only on the duration of exposure and the fungal biomass, but not on NP concentration. Live hyphae of P. eryngii were more efficient in the removal of the NPs (similar to 86 % of total amount of NPs removed from medium) than T. versicolor (61 %). Dead mycelium of P. eryngii was less efficient (51 %), but also useful in the mycoextraction. These results were confirmed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Additionally, it was found that the mycoextraction efficiency by P. eryngii depended on NP type and was lower for NPs other than alumina: platinum - 58 % and cobalt - 13 %.