Mycoremediation as a sustainable biotechnological approach for environmental pollution control

With the rapid expansion of industrialization, agricultural intensification, and urbanization, environmental pollution has become a major global ecological challenge. Consequently, the development of effective, economically feasible, and sustainable remediation strategies has emerged as a key research priority in environmental biotechnology. In this context, mycoremediation is a fungal based bioremediation approach that exploits the biological capabilities of fungi such as biodegradation, biosorption, enzymatic detoxification, and symbiotic interactions. It has gained increasing attention as a low cost and environmentally friendly alternative for pollutant removal. This review provides a comprehensive and critical synthesis of the mechanisms underlying mycoremediation, with particular emphasis on ligninolytic and oxidative enzymatic pathways, fungal metabolic functions, and pollutant specific transformation processes. The performance of representative fungal species, including Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Trametes versicolor, Pleurotus ostreatus, Aspergillus niger, and Ganoderma lucidum, is comparatively evaluated across major pollutant groups such as heavy metals, pesticides, hydrocarbons, synthetic dyes, and pharmaceutical contaminants, drawing on recent quantitative findings. In addition, mycoremediation is assessed from environmental, economic, and social sustainability perspectives, with attention to its feasibility for large scale applications. Key limitations including enzyme instability, environmental sensitivity, biomass scalability, and microbial competition are critically discussed. Finally, the integration of advanced biotechnological tools such as genetic engineering, multi omics approaches, nanotechnology, and microbial consortia is highlighted as a promising pathway to enhance system robustness and field applicability. Overall, this review positions mycoremediation as a versatile and scalable component of future sustainable environmental management strategies, with significant potential for ecosystem restoration and public health protection.