Affiliations 

  • 1 School of Science, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 46150 Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
  • 2 School of Chemical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia
  • 3 School of Science, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 46150 Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. Electronic address: adeline.ting@monash.edu
J Hazard Mater, 2019 01 15;362:394-402.
PMID: 30248661 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2018.08.077

Abstract

Penicillium simplicissimum (isolate 10), a metal tolerant fungus, tolerated 1000 mg/L Cu and 500 mg/L Zn, but were inhibited by Cd (100 mg/L), evident by the Tolerance Index (TI) of 0.88, 0.83, and 0.08, respectively. Live cells of P. simplicissimum were more effective in removing Cr (88.6%), Pb (73.7%), Cu (63.8%), Cd (33.1%), and Zn (28.3%) than dead cells (5.3-61.7%). Microscopy approach via SEM-EDX and TEM-EDX suggested that metal removal involved biosorption and bioaccumulation, with metal precipitates detected on the cell wall, and in the cytoplasm and vacuoles. FTIR analysis revealed metals interacted with amino, carbonyl, hydroxyl, phosphoryl (except Cd) and nitro groups in the cell wall. Biosorption and bioaccumulation of metals by live cells reduced Cu and Pb toxicity, observed from good root and (4.00-4.28 cm) and shoot (8.07-8.36 cm) growth of Vigna radiata in the phytotoxicity assay.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.