The Problem: Addressing Iowa's Water Quality Crisis

Happy Coyote is developing solutions for systemic environmental issues, starting with Iowa's urgent water quality crisis. The state has the nation's second-highest cancer rate, and cases continue to rise.

Research and monitoring have faced significant funding challenges, leaving a gap that must be filled by new and innovative solutions. Farm runoff is a nonpoint source of pollution, introducing a complex mix of contaminants, such as nitrates, pesticides, and antibiotics, into the state's waterways. This contributes to high treatment costs for water facilities and rural residents. It has also been linked to significant public health concerns.

Health implications:

• Cancer risks: Studies have linked higher nitrate levels in drinking water to increased risks of various cancers, including colon, kidney, stomach, ovarian, and thyroid cancers.

• Pesticide exposure: Certain pesticides and herbicides used in agriculture have been connected to various cancers, including prostate and breast cancer.

• Harmful algal blooms (HABs): Fueled by nutrient pollution, HABs can produce toxins that are dangerous to humans and are suspected carcinogens.

• Antibiotic resistance: Antibiotics in runoff can contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, posing a broader public health risk.

The water quality crisis also significantly impacts local waterways for recreational use and negatively affects biodiversity. The pollutants degrade water, posing health risks, harming aquatic life, and reducing the aesthetic and recreational value of ecosystems.

Recreational impacts:

• Beach closures and fishing limitations due to algal blooms and bacteria.

• Foul odors and murky water that diminish enjoyment and impact tourism.

• Public health threats from pathogens like E. coli and harmful algal blooms (HABs) that produce dangerous toxins.

Biodiversity impacts:

• Eutrophication and "dead zones": Excess nutrients cause massive algal blooms. When these die, their decomposition consumes dissolved oxygen, creating hypoxic "dead zones" that suffocate aquatic life.

• Habitat destruction: Increased sedimentation from erosion smothers fish eggs and impacts critical ecosystems like wetlands.

• Toxic contamination and bioaccumulation: Chemicals accumulate up the food chain, harming wildlife and humans.

• Food web disruption: The loss of sensitive species due to pollution can cause a cascade effect throughout the entire ecosystem.

The Solution: Nonpoint source integrated myco-systems

Our project is in the research proposal stage. Happy Coyote is investigating the potential use of integrated mycoremediation and mycofiltration systems to complement other technologies currently being used to address Iowa’s water quality crisis.

This approach is designed to enhance existing infrastructure, such as woodchip bioreactors, which are effective at removing nitrates but have limitations. Our system would leverage fungi to specifically target and break down the complex organic chemical compounds—including pesticides and herbicides—that bioreactors may not fully address. 

By integrating myco-systems, we can:

• Boost bioreactor performance: Enhance the bioreactors' ability to break down a broader spectrum of contaminants, potentially improving efficiency, especially during colder months when bacterial activity slows.

• Expand bioreactor capabilities: Move beyond just nitrate removal to address a wider range of chemical pollutants linked to rising cancer rates.

• Leverage existing infrastructure: Build on the foundation of bioreactors already in place, offering a more cost-effective and scalable solution than starting from scratch. 

Mycoremediation is an emerging field with great potential. It has demonstrated promising results in controlled lab and small-scale pilot studies for degrading a range of contaminants. However, it faces significant challenges related to scaling up for widespread, nonpoint source applications like farm runoff. 

Key mycoremediation projects and findings:

• Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT): Collaborated with mycologist Paul Stamets on studies demonstrating that mycoremediation, using cultured fungal mycelia, removed up to 97% of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from diesel oil-contaminated soil in 8 weeks.

• Massachusetts DOT (MassDOT): Conducted a research project evaluating the feasibility of adding mycofiltration to existing stormwater controls. Findings identified mycofiltration as a promising, low-cost solution for mitigating non-point source pollutants like nitrogen, phosphorus, and E. coli.

• California wildfire remediation: Following wildfires, non-profits have used mycelium-inoculated wattles (straw tubes) to filter and break down toxic ash and chemicals, including carcinogens like benzene.

• Paul Stamets's work: Pioneer Paul Stamets has championed mycoremediation for decades. His research, including early work on breaking down petroleum hydrocarbons, has been foundational to the field.

• Amazon oil spills: A project in the Ecuadorian Amazon used fungi to help detoxify soils and waterways contaminated by crude oil.

• Stormwater management: A field demonstration in Washington's Dungeness watershed showed a mycofiltration-treated bioretention cell provided a greater reduction of fecal coliform bacteria than an untreated one. 

What the research tells us: While successful lab and small-scale field projects have proven the potential and effectiveness of mycoremediation, there is currently limited data from large-scale applications, especially for the variable and widespread nature of nonpoint source pollution. Further research is needed to determine the most effective species of fungi and to develop consistent design parameters for on-site implementation in diverse, real-world environments.