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Jeremy_Davis
Mycelial NetworkAdministrator



Registered: 04/22/05
Posts: 652
Loc: Florida
Last seen: 11 years, 9 months
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Bioprospecting? Can mushrooms bioaccumulate noble metals?
#7877316 - 01/14/08 08:09 AM (16 years, 18 days ago) |
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This is a mushroom forum, so let’s have some fun! Here’s a subject I bet you won’t see on other financial forums…at least not yet.;)
It is well known that different species of mushrooms will bio-accumulate many different metals of different elements and at different concentrating strengths. As far as I know, these metals are known as heavy metals. I know that these include mercury and cadmium.
What I was wondering about this morning, is if these metals are similar in nature to gold or other noble metals. I know many base metals dissolve differently than noble metals, but I am totally ignorant of the true inter-relations between their structures, properties, and solubilities.
Also I read that in gold country, almost all species of plants bio-accumulate gold to some degree. The champion of all of them only has levels in the ppb range though, so extractions would be pointless. I’d bet certain species of mushrooms may be able to mine this gold from them Thar Hills.
Then the mushrooms could be dried and incinerated and the gold refined from the ash. Any thoughts? Light and Love, JD
-------------------- Jeremy Davis Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization, Inc. Check out the ECHO mushroom blog page to see our lab, growing facility, and more-www.echotech.org/greta
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abesh
Warrior SixDelta




Registered: 07/31/07
Posts: 321
Last seen: 15 years, 5 months
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Re: Bioprospecting? Can mushrooms bioaccumulate noble metals? [Re: Jeremy_Davis]
#7877662 - 01/14/08 10:16 AM (16 years, 18 days ago) |
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Interesting thought... But (there is always a but) I don't think (just my opinion) it would work as good.... cause ...
First off ... the myc would have to cover a vast area known to have gold, and be kind of deep too.
And secondly (and this may be more important) the myc probably will not absorb 100% (or any where close to it) of the gold in the area colonized, and push it out in its fruits.
This is just what I though ... and I could very well be wrong.
I guess this could be tried at home though... get some scrap gold (pawn shops) and mix it with some bulk substrate ... and then try to extract it or send it to the lab for testing .... like RR did here
http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/7689871/an/0/page/1

Abesh
PS.. I like the way you think though.... good food for thought
-------------------- If there are no stupid questions, then what kind of questions do stupid people ask? Do they get smart just in time to ask questions? - Scott Adams
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Jeremy_Davis
Mycelial NetworkAdministrator



Registered: 04/22/05
Posts: 652
Loc: Florida
Last seen: 11 years, 9 months
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Re: Bioprospecting? Can mushrooms bioaccumulate noble metals? [Re: abesh]
#7878194 - 01/14/08 12:47 PM (16 years, 18 days ago) |
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That's pretty interesting for sure. Definitely the way to go would be to do a test like you suggest, great idea.
Also I was thinking that mushroom beds could be prepared alongside a riverbed that is a known gold producer. Kind of like using the mycelium as a gold pan.
As far as efficiency, you're undoubtedly right, but if you can get a few ounces of gold each year, that would be great. You don't have to get EVERYTHING, just enough for you. Which is ethical and responsible anyway 
I think it is going to be really hard to try to do this from scratch. It would be nice to see some research from somewhere that has determined concentration amounts for species/metals like those that are found in Mycelium Running for heavy metals.
Like you said, really just food for thought, but fun.
Keep smiling! Jeremy
-------------------- Jeremy Davis Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization, Inc. Check out the ECHO mushroom blog page to see our lab, growing facility, and more-www.echotech.org/greta
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Asante
Mage


Registered: 02/06/02
Posts: 86,795
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Re: Bioprospecting? Can mushrooms bioaccumulate noble metals? [Re: Jeremy_Davis]
#7878242 - 01/14/08 12:57 PM (16 years, 18 days ago) |
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Alas! Gold and the Platinum group metals tend to occur in nature as the alloyed metals, instead of soluble salts, so that mycelium can't absorb it.
There's Electrum (gold-sliver metal) Platinum/palladium alloys Osmiridium (Osmium Iridium)
and so forth.
-------------------- Omnicyclion.org higher knowledge starts here
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