Abstract
Food deserts are an epidemic in urban areas across America. Decades of socioeconomic and racial divide and widespread deurbanization have left vacant lots scattered in and around the poorest neighborhoods. Because of extended industrialization in cities has led to a toxic buildup of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), vacant lots are not always safe enough to use for urban agriculture initiatives. Current remediation methods often leave soil as unusable as before, encouraging development of the land and further gentrification rather than community centers found in urban gardens. A method using fungi to degrade PAHs through enzymes, mycoremediation, has been researched and codified in the last 30 years. Mycoremediation offers an environmentally friendly pathway to cleaning up urban soils so they can be safely used to mitigate food deserts.
Advisor
Moreno, Carlo
Department
Environmental Studies
Recommended Citation
Russell, Emma, "Mycoremediation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Relation to Urban Agriculture and Food Deserts: A Review" (2021). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 9292.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/9292
Disciplines
Agriculture | Civic and Community Engagement | Environmental Studies | Other Microbiology | Urban Studies
Keywords
Mycoremediation, Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, community gardens, urban agriculture
Publication Date
2021
Degree Granted
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type
Senior Independent Study Thesis
© Copyright 2021 Emma Russell