Bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons polluted soil by spent mushroom substrates: Microbiological structure and functionality.

Spent mushroom substrate (SMS) holds valuable microbiota that can be useful in remediating polluted soils with hydrocarbons. However, the microorganisms behind the bioremediation process remain uncertain. In this work, a bioremediation assay of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) polluted soil by SMS application was performed to elucidate the microorganisms and consortia involved in biodegradation by a metabarcoding analysis.

Comparative study of the chemical composition and antifungal activity of commercial brown seaweed extracts.

Introduction: A sustainable agriculture and the great increase in consumers of organic products in the last years make the use of natural products one of the main challenges of modern agriculture. This is the reason that the use of products based on seaweed extracts has increased exponentially, specifically brown seaweeds, including Ascophyllum nodosum and Ecklonia maxima.

Methods: In this study, the chemical composition of 20 commercial seaweed extract products used as biostimulants and their antifungal activity against two common postharvest pathogens (Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium digitatum) from fruits were evaluated.

Synergistic effects of biochar and biostimulants on nutrient and toxic element uptake by pepper in contaminated soils.

Background: Nowadays a significant amount of land contaminated with toxic elements is being used for agriculture, posing a serious risk of crop contamination and toxicity. Several methodologies are being used to remediate soil contamination, including the use of amendments such as biochar. This work evaluated the effects of biochar combined with different fertirrigations (water, a conventional fertilizer solution, or a fertilizer solution with a commercial biostimulant derived from leonardite) on the availability of toxic elements and nutrients for pepper cultivated in a soil contaminated with As, Cd, Pb, and Zn.

An assessment of Pleurotus ostreatus to remove sulfonamides, and its role as a biofilter based on its own spent mushroom substrate.

A double strategy based on the removal of sulfonamide antibiotics by Pleurotus ostreatus and adsorption on spent mushroom substrate was assessed to reclaim contaminated wastewater. P. ostreatus was firstly tested in a liquid medium fortified with five sulfonamides: sulfamethoxazole, sulfadiazine, sulfathiazole, sulfapyridine and sulfamethazine, to evaluate its capacity to remove them and to test for any adverse effects on fungal growth and for any reduction in residual antibiotic activity.