Improved Eu(III) immobilization by Cladosporium sphaerospermum induced by low-temperature plasma

To increase the bioaccumulation of Eu(III), low temperature plasma as a method of mutagenesis was introduced to mutate Cladosporium sphaerospermum ( C. sphaerospermum ). Mycelia doses, pH, and ionic strength obviously affected the Eu(III) immobilization on mycelia. The maximum immobilization capacities of Eu(III) on mutated C. sphaerospermum was 278.8 mg/g at pH 6.5, which was approximately three times than that of raw C. sphaerospermum . Before and after Eu(III) loaded mycelia were analyzed by XPS and FTIR, and intracellular structures of mycelia changed obviously under Eu(III) stress by TEM analysis. The results suggested that low temperature plasma could be utilized as a valuable treatment technology to improve fungi for the removal and immobilization of radionuclides in the environment.