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Eco-Friendly Technologies for Heavy Metal Remediation: Pragmatic Approaches

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Environmental Sustainability

Abstract

Heavy metal contamination is a universal problem that disrupts the environment as a consequence of several anthropogenic activities. This chapter provides a review on the remediation technologies of heavy metal contamination. The modern remediation techniques of heavy metal from the contaminated soil and water are expensive and environmentally destructive. Unlike organic compounds, metals cannot degrade, and so efficient cleanup involves their immobilization to reduce or remove toxicity. The use of plants and associated microorganisms are gaining more attention to remove, immobile or degrade the environmental destructive contaminants. Phytoremediation is an emerging technology for cleaning up contaminated sites, which is cost effective, and has aesthetic advantages and long-term applicability. Furthermore, the metal-resistant bacteria are reported to play an important role in phytoremediation for successful survival and growth of plants. Moreover, the metal-resistant bacteria are reported to promote plant growth by various mechanisms such as nitrogen fixation, solubilization of minerals, production of phytohormones and siderophores, and utilization of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid as a sole N source and transformation of nutrient elements. A brief review on phytoremediation of heavy metals and its effect on plants has been compiled to provide a wide applicability of phytoremediation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, Rhizosphere Biology Laboratory, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, 620024, Tamil Nadu, India

    Hemambika Balakrishnan & Rajeshkannan Velu

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  1. Hemambika Balakrishnan
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  2. Rajeshkannan Velu
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Correspondence to Rajeshkannan Velu .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Science, Periyar University, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India

    P. Thangavel

  2. Plant Biotechnology, SBT, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

    G. Sridevi

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Balakrishnan, H., Velu, R. (2015). Eco-Friendly Technologies for Heavy Metal Remediation: Pragmatic Approaches. In: Thangavel, P., Sridevi, G. (eds) Environmental Sustainability. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-2056-5_12

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