Exploiting Marine Fungi in the Removal of Hazardous Pollutants and Biomass Valorisation

The environment and human health are now seriously threatened by pollution. Organic contaminants have a long half-life in the environment and possess hydrophobic, mutagenic, and cytotoxic properties. Hence, they are a big challenge to the health of environment. Due to their hydrophobic and persistent character, non-biodegradable and recalcitrant chemicals have an adverse effect on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. According to current pollution management methods, biodegradation and bioremediation using various microorganisms is an efficient, reliable, and eco-friendly approach to combat the pollutants. Marine-derived fungi play a significant role in the remediation of organic pollutants because their unique morphological and physiological properties including survival in the extreme conditions and a diverse metabolic capability. This chapter highlights the role and mechanisms of marine-derived fungi in removal of various pollutants as polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heavy metals, dyes, and the biomass valorization. Fungi can oxidize PAHs, alkanes, and other complex hydrocarbons using various intracellular and extracellular enzymatic machineries including monooxygenases and lignin-modifying enzymes. Marine-derived fungi act as biosorbents to remove heavy metal contaminants through active and passive mechanisms. Both living and non-living fungal biomass can be used to detoxify and degrade dyes from the contaminated environment. Furthermore, fungal biomass valorization facilitates the sustainable development of value-added products such as biofuels, enzymes, amino acids, organic acids, alcohol, pigments etc. Thus, the chapter emphasizes to understand the mechanisms of marine-derived fungi in degradation of organic pollutant, metabolic pathways, and enzymes responsible for degradation of organic compounds which would help to develop the future mycoremediation policies and production of value-added products for sustainable future development.