Microbial Remediation of Heavy Metals in Polluted Soil

Abstract

Heavy metal contamination poses a significant threat to the environment and public health because of its persistent toxicity and the bioaccumulation of pollutants. Microbial remediation, leveraging the metabolic capabilities of microorganisms, has emerged as an efficient and sustainable path to reduce and remove substantial, heavy metal pollution. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of microbial remediation studies, focusing on the mechanisms used by various bacteria, fungi, and algae to remove toxic substances and immobilize heavy metals. This chapter deals with several biochemical pathways in biosorption, bioaccumulation, biotransformation, and bioprecipitation. The role of genetic engineering and synthetic biology in increasing the microbial ability for targeted heavy metal removal was highlighted. The case studies explained here are the details of the booming field application of microbial remediation and the analysis of challenges and limitations in scaling up these technologies. In this chapter, insight for future research direction emphasizes the need for an interdisciplinary approach to optimize and integrate microbial remediation for its maximum efficacy within the broader environmental management framework discussed in the conclusion.