A modeling study on the role of fungi in removing inorganic pollutants.

In this paper, a non-linear mathematical model for removing an inorganic pollutant such as chromium from a water body using fungi is proposed and analyzed. It is assumed that the inorganic pollutant is discharged in a water body with a constant rate, which is depleted due to natural factors as well as by fungal absorption using dissolved oxygen in the process. The model is analyzed by using stability theory of differential equations and simulation. The analysis shows that the inorganic pollutant can be removed from the water body by fungal absorption, the rate of removal depends upon the concentration of inorganic pollutant, the density of fungal population and various interaction processes. The simulation analysis of the model confirms the analytical results. It is noted here this theoretical result is qualitatively in line with the experimental observations of one of the authors (Sanghi).