Microbial Remediation for Contaminated Soil Restoration

Abstract

Soil heavy metal pollution generally refers to the deposition of heavy metals, such as nickel, chromium, mercury, lead, cadmium, and other toxic heavy elements in the soil due to outcome of man-made activities. These heavy metals are not easily biodegradable, and through biological intensification, their concentrations can be augmented thousands of times, with major effects on human health. In recent years, discharges of large volumes of heavy metals from industrial and mining activities, leads to their deposition in the soil. Widespread use of pesticides and fertilizers in agricultural operations may also have led to an increase in heavy metal concentrations in the soil.