Naslov
Microorganisms and plants in heavy metal remediation

Autori
Bilandžić, Nina ; Đokić, Maja ; Cvjetko Bubalo, Marina ; Radojčić Redovniković, Ivana

Izvornik
Sylwan Journal (0039-7660) 159 (2015), 3;

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
contamination; microorganisms; plants; heavy metals; bioremediation; phytoremediation

Sažetak
Heavy metals and metalloids pollute soils and introduce hazardous effects to the environment and to animal and human health. Bioremediation processes stimulate microbial activity to change metal speciation, thus enhancing their mobilization and solubilisation. A number of microbial strains with varying capacities for metal transformation have been isolated from metal-polluted soil, mud and water and applied in the bioremediation of toxic heavy metals. Recent bioremediation approaches using acidothermophilic autotrophic microorganisms have been proven to have tolerance for higher metal concentrations and for multiple metals. An additional bioremediation approach is phytoremediation, where plants are used alone or in combination with suitable microorganisms for the purpose of inactivating, retaining or stabilising metals. The two basic processes of phytoremediation are phytostabilization, the immobilization of metals in soil or roots, and phytoextraction, the uptake of metals from soil and translocation from roots to the aboveground portion of the plant. Although this is a low-cost and low-impact technology, phytoremediation is a time-consuming process that requires a longer time period for the removal of pollutants and cannot be applied to soils containing high metal levels. Efforts have been made to reduce the duration of the procedure and to enhance plant capacities for decontamination.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Javno zdravstvo i zdravstvena zaštita, Biotehnologija

POVEZANOST RADA