Mechanism and Action of Aureobasidium pullulans on Biosorption of Metals

Abstract

In the present scenario, management of heavy metals discharged from industrial effluents has become one of the consequential environmental challenges. Conventional effluent treatment methods are very expensive and generate hazardous sludge. Biosorption using microbial sources is a promising eco-friendly alternative for heavy metals removal. In the past few decades, filamentous fungi, Aureobasidium pullulans, have gained attention due to its high biomass generation, easy upscaling, and its tolerance toward heavy metals than other fungal species. Aureobasidium pullulans is nonpathogenic microorganism used in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. This chapter focuses on morphology, mode of sequestration, and accumulation of various heavy metals by A. pullulans.