Plant-microbe Symbiosis as an Instrument for the Mobilization and Removal of Heavy Metals from Contaminated Soils – A Realistic Approach

Title:Plant-microbe Symbiosis as an Instrument for the Mobilization and Removal of Heavy Metals from Contaminated Soils – A Realistic Approach

Volume: 7 Issue: 2

Author(s): Rhitu Kotoky and Piyush Pandey*

Affiliation:

• Department of Microbiology, Assam University, Silchar, Assam-788011,India

Keywords: Bioremediation, heavy metals, phytoremediation, plant-microbe interaction, bioaugmentation, contaminated soil.

Abstract: Background: Contamination of soil with heavy metal is a major problem for developed and developing countries. Therefore, different approaches including bioremediation has been applied for remediation of metal contaminated sites. Biological approaches offer efficient and better way to remediate pollution in the air, soil and water. The plant-microbe interaction for remediation of polluted site is attracting interests and attentions, due to its high effectiveness and low cost. Therefore, in this review, mechanisms involved in removal of heavy metals like metal accumulation, enzymatic transformation and metal precipitation, and how plant-microbe interations can uplift the success rate of the process has been discussed. Approach of using plant-microbe interactions for the remediation of heavy metal contaminated soil, along with the roles of bacterial metabolites like siderophores, organic ligands and biosurfactants have been critically elaborated.

Methods: A planned study was conducted for search of bibliographic databases of scientific studies of heavy metal remediaton and plant-microbe interactions for bioremediation. The chracteristics of the screened papers are described and the findings to conceptual framework critically analysed.

Results: Different conventional methods have been used for remediation of heavy metals from contaminated sites. But bioremediation using plant-microbe interactions seems to be efficient and low cost alternate to such conventional remediation technologies. Rhizoremediation performance is based on the interactions of plant and microorganisms in the rhizoremediation. Rhizospheric microorganisms and their metabolites (e.g. siderophore, organic acids, IAA, etc.) have been suggested to be involved in (1) plant growth promotion through nutrient acquirement, alleviation of biotic/abiotic stress and (2) detoxification of metals through altering its mobility and bioavailability.

Conclusion: Although bioremediation through rhizosphere has been promoted as an effective technique for bioremediation of heavy metal contamination, yet its applications has not been exploited much, and there is an urgent need to identify the lacunae to be addressed for success of this strategy.

Cite this article as:

Kotoky Rhitu and Pandey Piyush*, Plant-microbe Symbiosis as an Instrument for the Mobilization and Removal of Heavy Metals from Contaminated Soils – A Realistic Approach, Current Biotechnology 2018; 7 (2) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/2211550106666170321104354