Angela Graves, 23, proposes a pilot mycoremediation project to use white‑rot fungi (oyster and turkey tail mushrooms) to absorb PFAS contamination linked to the former Saint‑Gobain Performance Plastics site in Merrimack. The plan calls for cultivating fungi on contaminated plots, harvesting fruiting bodies for testing by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, and safely disposing of contaminated material if needed. Graves has won seed funding from Radically Rural and is seeking scientific partners, site access and additional funding to run field trials. Key obstacles include variable field conditions, permitting and scaling the technique beyond laboratory results.
Merrimack Organizer Proposes Using Mushrooms To Remediate PFAS Near Former Saint‑Gobain Site
Angela Graves, 23, a Merrimack resident and organizer with the League of Conservation Voters, is developing a field trial to use fungi to remove PFAS contamination tied to the former Saint‑Gobain Performance Plastics facility. She hopes to adapt lab research on mycoremediation—using fungi to absorb and potentially break down pollutants—into a real‑world cleanup approach.
What She Proposes
Graves plans to cultivate white‑rot fungi species such as oyster mushrooms and turkey tail on contaminated soil near the Saint‑Gobain site. After the fungi colonize the soil and fruit, she would harvest the mushrooms, submit samples to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES) for PFAS testing, and—if tests confirm contamination—coordinate safe disposal, likely by incineration under state supervision.
How Mycoremediation Works
White‑rot fungi decompose lignin in wood using robust enzyme systems. Some laboratory studies suggest these enzymes and the fungi’s mycelial networks can take up, and in some cases transform, certain PFAS compounds. Graves explained that PFAS can be transported through the underground mycelium and accumulate in the mushroom’s fruiting body, where they can be collected for testing.
“PFAS is absorbed through the underground mycelium network and stored in the 'flesh'; the fruiting body you see on the surface,” Graves said. “There’s some evidence that the enzymes in the mushroom can break them down and digest them.”
Plan, Partners and Funding
Graves won a $500 crowd‑choice prize from the nonprofit Radically Rural in October to kickstart the project. She has had preliminary conversations with DES but no formal funding commitment. DES suggested consultation with researchers such as Associate Professor Paula Mouser at the University of New Hampshire. State Representative Wendy Thomas (D‑Merrimack), who has a background in chemistry and biology, has met with Graves to help define study parameters and site options.
Site Access and Alternatives
The ideal testing ground would be the grounds of the former Saint‑Gobain facility (operated 2002–2024), which has been demolished but remains company‑owned. Graves and Rep. Thomas expect Saint‑Gobain may cooperate under its remediation obligations, but if permission is denied they plan to seek adjacent private property owned by Flatley or possible town land as alternatives.
Challenges And Considerations
Field conditions present challenges that laboratory experiments do not: variable soil moisture, seasonal weather (including drought), soil heterogeneity, and scale. Graves is exploring methods to improve underground colonization (for example, placing spores in hollow logs) and is seeking a microbiologist to refine protocols. Even if uptake occurs more slowly in situ than the two‑week timelines seen in some lab studies, the approach could still accelerate PFAS removal compared with the centuries required for natural attenuation.
Why This Matters
If field trials demonstrate measurable PFAS accumulation in harvested fungi and safe disposal pathways exist, mycoremediation could offer a lower‑cost, lower‑impact alternative or supplement to intensive chemical remediation at contaminated sites. Graves frames the project as a community‑driven demonstration of resilience and a potential model for other towns facing PFAS contamination.
Next Steps: finalize study parameters (plot size, number and duration), secure site access and scientific partners, apply for grants or agency support, and begin controlled pilot plots to gather data for regulatory review.
