The mobilization of metals such as (As) and uranium (U) from natural deposits and mining legacy is an issue concerning affected communities, particularly in Native American lands. For instance, waters from sites affected by uranium mining legacy in our partner Native American communities in New Mexico exceed the EPA MCL of 10 µg/L As and 30 µg/L U. The development of novel technologies that use resources available in these communities is necessary for remediation. The objective of this project is to determine the uptake of As by fungi for bioremediation. We have isolated diverse mycorrhizal fungi, including<i> Fusarium equiseti, Cladosporium exasperatum, Periconia macrospinosa, Setophoma terrestris, and Alternaria alternata. </i>We tested the uptake of As from culture experiments by each of these isolates in laboratory-controlled conditions. We will show the change in As concentration using inductively coupled plasma (ICP-OES, ICP-MS) analyses. We will identify the accumulation of As in cells from imaging of reacted fungi isolate cells using confocal microscopy and scanning electron microscopy integrated with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). The results of this research will evaluate bioremediation catalyzed by fungi for the development of risk reduction methods for As and metals mixtures exposure relevant to tribal communities impacted by mining legacy.

Uptake of arsenic by fungi isolates from plants for bioremediation

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