The Effectiveness of Pleurotus ostreatus in Bioremediation of Acetaminophen

Considerable progress has been made in understanding the adsorption properties of mushrooms for removing contaminants from water sources vital to human life, such as freshwater. However, gaps in existing literature remain, particularly concerning how short incubation periods, consistent temperature conditions, and the use of oyster mushrooms influence the removal of low to high concentrations of acetaminophen. This study aimed to address these gaps by evaluating the feasibility of an accessible, low-cost approach to water purification using oyster mushrooms. The hypothesis proposed that increasing acetaminophen concentration would result in decreased absorption and removal by Pleurotus ostreatus due to the mushroom's enzymatic properties. This is attributed to laccase, an enzyme in Pleurotus ostreatus that gradually loses efficiency over time, reducing overall removal efficiency. Different concentrations of acetaminophen were exposed to oyster mushrooms and left at room temperature for three days. Afterwards, UV-Vis spectrophotometry was used to measure remaining acetaminophen by comparing a standard calibration curve to sample absorbance wavelengths. A one-way ANOVA (α = 0.05) revealed a significant effect of initial acetaminophen concentration on the mean remaining concentration, F(2, 85) = 35.77, p < 0.001. A Scheffé post hoc test found significant differences between each concentration group. However, results also indicated that Pleurotus ostreatus interfered with absorbance readings, making it difficult to distinguish between absorbance from mushroom material and acetaminophen. This interference prevented accurate determination of the remaining acetaminophen concentration, reinforcing the need for additional testing. Future studies should refine methods, control interference sources, and validate results across conditions experimentally.