Mycoscaffold : a biodiversity framework for soil mycoremediation

Abstract

As the span of our urban environments continue to grow, and industries supporting life in our cities proliferate, a key dilemma one can observe is the contamination of soil and a detrimental loss of biodiversity. This prominent threat to the fundamental elements of our environment has captured the attention of designers where multidisciplinary approaches are imperative in combating the severe damage inflicted by anthropogenic activity. A prominent discourse of action against soil pollution evident in landscape design is phytoremediation. Within this field of naturally based remediation efforts, the strategy known as mycoremediation, which utilizes mushroom root networks known as mycelia to immobilize toxic chemicals embedded in soil systems. While this method of landscape remediation is extremely effective against a multitude of chemicals, it is evident that these efforts have yet to be a seamlessly integrated aspect of the urban fabric. The proposal will then focus upon the development of a framework for biodiverse mycelium-based soil remediation deployment strategy that integrates three integral elements: biodiversity, material design, and data visualization. This study will include, (i) a comprehensive literature review to observe the advancements in each of these fields, (ii) a design proposal for the biodiverse mycoremediation deployment system within a case study environment, (iii) material scale experiments to test the remediation efficacy of mycelium along with two species of native flora to the case study site against lead, and (iv) a material thermal and moisture simulation using Energyplus software to test the material component’s capabilities of supporting mycelium growth within the structure. The interdisciplinary design research is significant to investigate prospective approaches utilizing ecologically conscious mycoremediation to protect vulnerable urban communities against detrimental toxins.