BIOTECHNOLOGY TECHNIQUES Volme 10 No.5 (May 1996) p.345-348 BIOSORPTION OF CADMIUM TO MYCELIAL PELLETS OF WOOD-ROTTING FUNGI Jiii Gabriel*, Jan Vosahlo and Petr Baldrian Institute of Microbiology ASCR, ?,?deliskci 1083, 142 20 Prague I, Czech Republic SUMh’lARY Fungal pellets of wood-rotting fungi (diameters ranged from 0.2 to 3 cm) were obtained by submerged cultivation on nutrient rich medium. Biosorption of cadmium (initial concentration, 10 mM) in batch system was followed by HPLC. Of 30 fungal strains tested, high abilities to accumulate cadmium were found in Fomitopsis pinicola (130.2 mg/g) and Trametes vu-sicolor (I 09.5 mg/g). P. chrysosporYwn contained X4.5 mg Cd ig dry weight. INTRODUCTION Aqueous effluents emerging from the mining, metal refining and other industries contain heavy metal ions which are toxic to living organisms and may cause serious hazards to public health. Biosorption may be used as an additional step in chemical removal of toxic metals from industrial water. Filamentous fungi (e.g. Penicillinnr spp, Rhixpus spp) serve as sources of highly effective heavy metal biosorbents (Siegel ct CI/. 1990). So far, big attentron has been paid to the investigation of tnetal sorption to mycelial wastes, produced by fermentation industries (Fourest and Roux 1993, Piimpel and Schinner 1993. Tobin e/ al. 1993). There is only a limited number of studies dealing with metal sorption to basidiomycetes (c.g Lilly c/ al. 199 3, Nakajima and Sakaguchi 1993, Sanglimsu~~anc/ n/. 1993, Gabriel L’I al. 1994). Although these fungi are not ofien used rn fermentanon Industry, their abilities to bind heavy metals may in some casesexceed those of lower- fungi or yeasts. The aim of this work was to study cadmmm biosorption to mycelial pellets of several basidiomycetes. 345