Can white-rot fungi be a real wastewater treatment alternative for organic micropollutants removal? A review. (1st July 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mir-Tutusaus, Josep Anton; Baccar, Rim; Caminal, Glòria; Sarrà, Montserrat
• Is Part Of: Water research. Volume 138(2018)
• Page Start: 137
• Page End: 151
• Publication Date: 2018-07-01
• Subjects: Micropollutants -- Wastewater -- White-rot fungi -- Pesticides -- Immobilization -- Endocrine disruptors; Water -- Pollution -- Research -- Periodicals; 363.7394
• DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2018.02.056
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0043-1354

Abstract

Abstract: Micropollutants are a diverse group of compounds that are detected at trace concentrations and may have a negative effect on the environment and/or human health. Most of them are unregulated contaminants, although they have raised a concern in the scientific and global community and future regulation might be written in the near future. Several approaches have been tested to remove micropollutants from wastewater streams. In this manuscript, a focus is placed in reactor biological treatments that use white-rot fungi. A critical review of white-rot fungal-based technologies for micropollutant removal from wastewater has been conducted, several capabilities and limitations of such approaches have been identified and a range of solutions to overcome most of the limitations have been reviewed and/or proposed. Overall, this review argues that white-rot fungal reactors could be an efficient technology to remove micropollutants from specific wastewater streams. Highlights: White-rot fungal-based technologies for micropollutant removal have been reviewed. Microbial contamination has been identified as a main difficulty in these systems. Solutions to overcome most of the limitations have been reviewed and/or proposed. A transition towards pilot scale experiments is discussed. Difficulties in the quantification of conjugated compounds need to be overcome.