Degradation of Harmful Bacteria in Simulated Wastewater by the White Rot Fungus Pleurotus Ostreatus

The white rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus was analyzed as a potential biocontrol agent used to reduce the amount of coliform bacteria in simulated wastewater and storm water runoff. On water agar plates, Pleurotus ostreatus was seen to prey on bacterial colonies and completely consume them within 72 hours. Based on this principle, biocell reactors (BCR) were used to determine the effectiveness of spent mushroom compost (SMC) containing P. ostreatus to reduce the concentration of E.coli in simulated wastewater and stormwater runoff. After the first 12 hours, the overall concentrations in the live reactors began to decrease while the concentration in the dead control began to increase. After a subsequent uncontaminated rain event, the E.coli concentration in the dead controls increased exponentially while the overall concentrations in the live reactors decreased. The simulated wastewater effluent treatments, while having the lowest total concentration of E.coli, did not decrease over time. This suggests that the presence of the live fungus kills the adsorbed E.coli and that nutrient concentrations may play a significant role in the level of predation observed.