ICYMI this holiday season, we’re sharing facts, oddities, and other sustainable conversation starters to make your holiday events a bit more memorable. Today, we’re exploring the otherworldly power of oyster mushrooms.
You may have seen these in-season fungi at the grocery store, but did you know they’re heroes when it comes to decontamination? Oyster mushrooms naturally produce enzymes meant to extract chemicals from the soil they’re growing in. These enzymes then break down the chemicals in the soil into nontoxic substances through a process called mycoremediation. This process may sound like the name of a new fitness studio, but it’s been integral to cleaning up everything from oil spills in the Ecuadorian Amazon to diesel spills in California.
So next time you’re in the grocery store, be sure to give thanks to these heroic fungi. (Psst-- speaking of shrooms, these are a Team G fave.)
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