Removal of pollutants using spent mushrooms substrates

Due to increasing environmental pollution, there is a need for cheap and effective methods to remove pollutants from water. Mushrooms can be used as a green adsorbent in modified and natural forms to remove pollutants such as dyes and heavy metals. The use of edible mushrooms is not judicious because edible mushrooms have good nutritive and medicinal properties. Alternatively, the use of spent mushroom substrates is advised. This review discusses the potential of spent mushroom substrate as a source of immobilized mushroom mycelium, which is produced in large amounts after harvesting of mushroom fruit bodies. In laboratory conditions, Agaricus, Pleurotus, Lentinus, Calocybe and their spent mushroom substrates are efficient adsorbents allowing 70–90% of removal of pollutants. The efficiency of spent mushroom is similar to that of mushroom. Chemisorption and physisorption processes are involved in the adsorption process. Langmuir isotherms reveal the involvement of monolayer adsorption irrespective of the use of mushroom fruit bodies or spent mushroom substrate. Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis reveals the presence of carboxyl, hydroxyl, amino group in the adsorption of pollutants, dyes and heavy metals.