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Bioaccumulation and Biotransformation of Heavy Metals

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Bioremediation Technology

Abstract

The strategy for increasing and improving the efficiency of remediation techniques is to increase the bioaccumulation and biotransformation potential of plant and microbes for detoxification of toxic metals. With an increase in anthropological practices, more and more toxic metal ions are being added to the natural environment disrupting the ecosystem. Metals like Cd, Pb, Cr, As etc. when present in high concentrations in soil show potential toxic effects on overall growth and metabolism of plants and microbes (Yadav et al., 2009; Juwarkar et al., 2008). Bioaccumulation of such toxic metals in the plants poses a risk to human and animal health. Removal of excess of metal ions from the contaminated site is brought about by chemical as well as biological means. However, the existence of many classes and type of chemical species make the removal of the toxic metals from the environment very complicated.

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  1. Environmental Biotechnology Division, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nehru Marg, 440 020, Nagpur, India

    Asha A. Juwarkar (Deputy Director & Head) & Santosh K. Yadav

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  1. Asha A. Juwarkar
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  2. Santosh K. Yadav
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  1. Department of Life Sciences, University of Mumbai, Mumbai, India

    M. H. Fulekar

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Juwarkar, A.A., Yadav, S.K. (2010). Bioaccumulation and Biotransformation of Heavy Metals. In: Fulekar, M.H. (eds) Bioremediation Technology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3678-0_9

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