Early studies show fungi may be effective at removing man-made toxins from rivers and oceans.
These particles can be absorbed into the tissue of humans, fish and other animals, though we don’t know much about how that might affect animals or people.
The researchers say their fungi could potentially be used by wastewater treatment plants to remove more microplastics and prevent them from reaching the oceans. However, there are many many types of plastics in the world, and it’s not clear that the fungi would be effective at removing them all at all sizes. Dai said the ideal solution is to find types of fungi that can both capture microplastics and also break down chemicals like PFAS, pharmaceuticals, pesticides and cleaning products that may be harmful in the water.
These man-made chemicals are used in many consumer products ranging from food wrappers and packaging, to dental floss, fire-fighting foam, nonstick cookware, textiles and electronics.
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