Ricerc@Sapienza

Metal pollution in water and soil is an environmental and public health issue. Cadmium (Cd) is included in the list of priority hazardous substances in the European Water Framework Directive. Phytoremediation system is a cost-effective, plant-based approach that takes advantage of the ability of plants to concentrate elements and compounds from the environment and to metabolize various molecules in their tissues. We studied the presence and the importance of an invasive species, such as Lemna minuta, in the environment and the effects of Cd pollution on this species.

Abandoned sulfide mines represent one of the most important causes of pollution in the world. These environments are characterized by the absence of a real soil and plant life and are colonized only by pioneer microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. Mycelial fungi interact with mineral compounds through many direct or indirect strategies develop a significant biomass in soil and sequester significant amounts of metals. In this study, three fungal species (Penicillium brevicompactum, P.