Bioremediation Potential of Trichoderma species for Metal(loid)s

Abstract

Environmental pollution is a global challenge affecting all ecosystems. Various types of pollution are posing challenges to the survival of present and future generations. Inappropriate disposal of heavy metals also causes adverse economical and ecological effects. Microorganisms are omnipresent and deliver significant ecological services in the management of metal(loid)s, enabling them to be applied in various biotechnological strategies for the environmental management needed for sustainable development. Fungal organisms have the innate mechanisms and features such as resistance, tolerance, enzymatic diversity, production of metallothioneins, enzymes and organic acids, enabling them to be applied as potential microorganisms for the remediation of metal(loid)s. Trichoderma species are one among the widely investigated microorganisms and have beneficial applications in the agricultural and industrial sectors. This chapter overviews the contribution of studies conducted on different Trichoderma species and their potential for bioremediation of metal(loid)s such as nickel, cadmium, copper, arsenic, lead, chromium etc. by employing various detoxification strategies such as bioaccumulation, biotransformation, biosorption, phytobial remediation, etc. Various Trichoderma species, T. hrazianum, T. longibrachiatum, T. virens, T. viride etc., are discussed for having bioremediation potential against different metal(loid)s. � 2023 Anju Malik, Mohd. Kashif Kidwai and Vinod Kumar Garg.