Mycofiltration involves percolating water through a woody substrate colonized by a lignicolous fungi (wood-degrading fungi). The filtering effect of the dense mycelium network and the release of enzymes can remove organic pollutants, heavy metals and pathogenic bacteria from water.
Because it is straightforward to implement, this technology it is particularly adapted to the treatment of runoff water, surface water (streams, etc.) and agricultural effluents. In some cases, we propose it as a complement to other nature-based solutions.
Bio-inspiration from fungi is one of the pillars of our eco-innovation program. In this context, Naturem Solutions has been a partner in the European R&D project PharmaFun, with funding from the SPW (EuroTransBio program). The general objective was to develop a new tertiary treatment step for wastewater treatment plants. The project aimed to eliminate PPCPs (pharmaceuticals and personal care products), a category of micropollutants. Naturem Solutions applied mycofiltration for that purpose.