ABSTRACT Copper (Cu) contamination in soil is a considerable environmental concern as it is becoming common and widely present due to the high industrial activities. Cu is naturally found in soil, and it is known to be an important trace element for living organisms. However, industrial processes have contributed to the huge release of Cu into the environment causing Cu pollution in soil. Scientists have developed mycoremediation methods to remediate Cu, which are more efficient, safer and cost effective. Therefore, the objectives of this research are to screen the potential fungi and observe their tolerance of Cu in potato dextrose broth (PDB) based on the biomass produced, and to determine the ability of the fungi to accumulate Cu through metal level determination by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Three fungal species were used in this experiment, namely, Pleurotus ostreatus, Aspergillus niger and Agaricus bisporus. These fungus species were inoculated in potato dextrose broth (PDB) with different CuSO4 concentrations (0 ppm / 50 ppm / 100 ppm / 200 ppm / 300 ppm) for two weeks. The biomasses of the fungi species were then measured. The results showed that all three fungal species have good growth rates at all concentrations and can tolerate Cu in the PDB media. For tolerance study, A. bisporus showed the highest growth rate while A. niger showed the highest biosorption of Cu after 14 days of incubation. Generally, A. bisporus and A. niger are potential fungi for Cu remediation.
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