Pyromorphite and other lead minerals formed on lead shot incubated with the fungus Metarhizium anisopliae. G.M GADD
Lead can be converted into pyromorphite, the most stable mineral form of the metal, by some fungi species, according to a study published online this week (January 12) in Current Biology. The findings add to work highlighting the important role of microbes in geological processes and suggest a possible avenue for bioremediation of lead polluted soils.
“This is the first example of fungi acting to mineralize lead,” said Silvia Perotto, a plant biologist at the University of Torino, who did not participate in the study.
It’s common knowledge that lead is extremely toxic. Implicated most famously in neurodevelopmental problems in early childhood, the metal has been phased out of products such as household paint. But there are still sources of lead contamination, such as mining ...
