Applications of Fusarium solani YMM20 in bioremediation of heavy metals via enhancing extracellular green synthesis of nanoparticles.

A novel technique for removing metals from water, by converting them into nanoparticles using the culture filtrate of Fusarium solani YMM20, followed by their removal by centrifugation was developed in this study. It is a promising, simple, and eco-friendly process for the bioremediation of wastewater. This method is built on the reduction of metal ions by cell-free fungal filtrate protein(s). The chitosan and chitosan nanoparticles were used as adsorbents for the removal of Cu , Pb , Co , Cd , Ni , and Fe , separately. In addition, fungal filtrate and chitosan nanoparticles loaded with fungal filtrate were used for the biosynthesis of metal nanoparticles of Cu , Pb , Co , Cd , Ni , and Fe , separately for their removal. The fungal filtrate approach has the highest metal removal (%) for most metals. Among the six metal ions, the fungal filtrate, chitosan nanoparticles loaded with fungal filtrate, chitosan, and chitosan nanoparticles showed the highest removal (%) for Pb and the lowest removal (%) for Co . Techniques such as transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and Zeta potential measurements were used to characterize the obtained nanoparticles. The average size of the spherical nanoparticles observed by transmission electron microscopy was from 18.938 ± 2.269 nm to 60.175 ± 4.973 nm.