METAL UPTAKE BY FUNGI FROM THE LAGUNA PUEBLO AS A POTENTIAL BIOREMEDIATION METHOD

The negative effects of metal mining legacy threaten the environmental and human health of Native American communities across the US. The Jackpile Mine located in the Laguna Pueblo in Western New Mexico has led to the mobility and accumulation of uranium (U) and arsenic (As) along the Rio Paguate, which is a river adjacent to the Jackpile Mine and Paguate Village.The concentrations of U and As in the Rio Paguate exist at 722 µg/L U and 32.2 µg/L As and exceed the Environmental Protection Agency’s maximum contaminant levels of 30 µg/L U and 10 µg/L As. Research shows that endophytic and symbiotic fungi found in grass roots in mining impacted lands can uptake metals, contribute to the health of the plant, and contribute to the movement of the metals within the plant. The objective of this project is to determine the biological uptake of U and As by endophytic fungi isolated from the blue gramma grass at the Jackpile Mine and Paguate Village. This presentation will be an introduction to the preliminary experiments on quantifying the growth and mass of fungi from the mine and village. The results of this research project will provide insight into practical bioremediation methods for metals that are responsive and respectful of cultural and community needs.