Remediation of heavy metal contaminated ecosystem: an overview on technology advancement

Abstract

The issue of heavy metal pollution is very much concerned because of their toxicity for plant, animal and human beings and their lack of biodegradability. Excess concentrations of heavy metals have adverse effects on plant metabolic activities hence affect the food production, quantitatively and qualitatively. Heavy metal when reaches human tissues through various absorption pathways such as direct ingestion, dermal contact, diet through the soil-food chain, inhalation and oral intake may seriously affect their health. Therefore, several management practices are being applied to minimize metal toxicity by attenuating the availability of metal to the plants. Some of the traditional methods are either extremely costly or they are simply applied to isolate contaminated site. The biology-based technology like use of hypermetal accumulator plants occurring naturally or created by transgenic technology, in recent years draws great attention to remediate heavy metal contamination. Recently, applications of nanoparticle for metal remediation are also attracting great research interest due to their exceptional adsorption and mechanical properties and unique electrical property, highly chemical stability, and large specific surface area. Thus, the present review deals with different management approaches to reduce level of metal contamination in soil and finally to the food chain.

Evaluation study of cobalt(II) and strontium(II) sorption–desorption behavior for selection of soil remediation technology

“…in the soil is fundamentally different. Metal contamination in soil can be reduced by different management approaches (Singh and Prasad 2014). In order to conclude which remediation techniques (chemical extraction, electrokinetic processes, mechanical separation, soil additives, phytoremediation, etc.)…”

Adsorption of chromium(VI) onto electrochemically obtained magnetite nanoparticles

“…Indeed, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fixed the maximum contaminant level for chromium in drinking water at 0.1 mg/L. Several processes have been developed to eliminate the chromium present in industrial wastewater (Singh and Prasad 2015). The most commonly used methods to reduce the concentration of Cr(VI) in aqueous solutions are ion exchange, polymer resins, coagulation-flocculation, activated carbon adsorption and the reduction/chemical precipitation/sedimentation process (Boddu et al 2003;Hu et al 2004;Patterson et al 1997).…”

Potential for Phytoextraction of Cu by Sesamum indicum L. and Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L.: A Green Solution to Decontaminate Soil

“…The accumulation of substantial toxic metals in soil profile adversely affects agricultural production. As a consequence of heavy metal contaminated soil, the harmful metals turn into a part of a natural way of life and furthermore cause serious risk to plants, animals, humans, and entire soil condition including soil organisms (microbes) (Nagajyoti et al 2010;Singh and Prasad 2014).…”