Mycoremediation of different wastewater toxicants and its prospects in developing value-added products: A review

In the era of globalization and rising population growth demands rapid urbanization, industrialization, and intense agricultural production causes pollution in water bodies. Mycoremediation is one of the prospects that provides eco-friendly remediation strategies of wastewater. Fungi are highly tolerant to different toxicants which makes them one of the potent agents for treatment of wastewater. This review deals with the mechanism of fungus mediated degradation of different pollutants present in wastewater. However, the working principals may vary among different fungal species and degree of efficacy may also differ. Light intensity, pH and temperature are the major controlling factors that plays a critical role in mycoremediation. Different value-added products like enzymes, pharmaceutical products, biofuel, Single cell protein (SCP) and many more are also being produced during degradation of toxic pollutants by fungal biomass. All these synthesized products have their own application in different sectors. This review is a compilation of mycoremediation strategies and products with added value that will serve as a solid foundation for future researchers. [Display omitted] •Mycoremediation is a potent technique for remediation of wastewater pollutants.•Mycoremediation includes biosorption, bio-reduction, myco-precipitation, immobilization etc.•Factors like pH, redox potential, temperature, light, moisture affect the mycoremediation process.•Value-added products like SCP, biofuel and many more can be produced during the mycoremediation process.