Phytoremediation: A Green Technology to Clean Up the Sites with Low and Moderate Level of Heavy Metals

Review Article

Austin Biochem. 2017; 2(2): 1012.

Phytoremediation: A Green Technology to Clean Up the Sites with Low and Moderate Level of Heavy Metals

Singh H¹*, Verma A², Kumar M³, Sharma R¹, Gupta R4, Kaur M5, Negi M¹ and Sharma SK¹

¹Ecology, Climate Change and Forest Influence Division, Forest Research Institute, India

²Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, India

³Forest Informatics Division, Forest Research Institute, India

4Department of Biology, Fiji National University, Fiji Islands

5Plant Physiology Discipline, Forest Botany Division, Forest Research Institute, India

*Corresponding author: Hukum Singh, Climate Change and Forest Influence Division, Forest Research Institute, Dehradun- 248 006, India

Received: July 27, 2017; Accepted: September 04, 2017; Published: September 11, 2017

Abstract

Contamination of soil and water with heavy metals is a serious concern worldwide. It adversely affects - plant growth as well as human health. Remdiation of these contaminated soils and water using phytoremediation provides an opportunity to regain the prestine state of the soil and water environment. This review discusses about the cost effective phytoremediation technology that can be used to remove heavy metalsand other pollutants from contaminated soil and water. Plants having hyperaccumulators use their internal complex system of highly effective homeostatic mechanisms to control the uptake, accumulation, trafficking, and detoxification of metals. A concise overview of numerous approaches of phytoremediation in this review demonstrates that despite of some limitations, phytoremediation is an effective approach for the removal of heavy metals and other contaminants from soil and water.

Keywords: Phytoremediation; heavy metals; Vacuolar sequestration; Phytofilteration; Phytovolatisation

Introduction

Heavy metals are found in soil and water naturally and are generally released from various natural and anthropogenic sources [1] (Figure 1). Heavy metals disrupt nutrients and water uptake, affect production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), reduce photosynthetic efficiency, alter cell division, alter nitrogen metabolism and thus affect plant growth [2]. Continuous uptake of heavy metals in humans through contaminated foods can cause oxidative stress by over production of ROS, upper gastrointestinal cancer and many immunological syndrome including carcinogenic effects, teratogenesis and mutagenesis [3].