Phyto And Microbial Remediation Of Heavy Metals And Radionuclides In The Environment

This book examines the role that bioremediation can play in the detoxification of soil, water, and air to improve environmental and human health, with a specific focus on heavy metals and radionuclides. Environmental pollution, whether by natural or human causes, with industrial activities being a key player, is a challenge facing all nations across the world. While treatment has typically required the use of expensive technology, one promising solution is the use of phytoremediation, in which plants act by metabolizing or sequestering pollutants. This eco-friendly solution is a good alternative to the standard methods of soil and water treatments. This book provides not only the basic definitions and classification of technologies used for contaminant remediation but also the most recent studies dealing with the selection of new promising microbial stains and plant varieties involved in the treatment of radioactive and heavy metal contaminants. It provides a detailed description of the biochemical mechanisms and genes involved in the bioremediation of radionuclides and heavy metals, offering a clear insight for academics and practitioners interested in in vitro and in situ biological treatment. This book will be of great value to students and scholars interested in environmental pollution and environmental health from across a range of different disciplines, including environmental microbiology and chemistry, ecology and environmental science, biological and environmental engineering and biotechnology.

This book focuses on the mechanistic (microscopic) understanding of radionuclide uptake by plants in contaminated soils and potential use of phytoremediation. The key features concern radionuclide toxicity in plants, how the radioactive materials are absorbed by plants, and how the plants cope with the toxic responses. The respective chapters examine soil classification, natural plant selection, speciation of actinides, kinetic modeling, and case studies on cesium uptake after radiation accidents. Radionuclide contaminants pose serious problems for biological systems, due to their chemical toxicity and radiological effects. The processes by which radionuclides can be incorporated into vegetation can either originate from activity interception by external plant surfaces (either directly from the atmosphere or from resuspended material), or through uptake of radionuclides via the root system. Subsequent transfer of toxic elements to the human food chain is a concrete danger. Therefore, the molecular mechanisms and genetic basis of transport into and within plants needs to be understood for two reasons: The effectiveness of radionuclide uptake into crop plants – so-called transfer coefficient – is a prerequisite for the calculation of dose due to the food path. On the other hand, efficient radionuclide transfer into plants can be made use of for decontamination of land – so-called phytoremediation, the direct use of living, green plants for in situ removal of pollutants from the environment or to reduce their concentrations to harmless levels.

This text details the plant-assisted remediation method, “phytoremediation”, which involves the interaction of plant roots and associated rhizospheric microorganisms for the remediation of soil contaminated with high levels of metals, metalloids, fuel and oil hydrocarbons, nano particles, pesticides, solvents, organic compounds and various other contaminants. Many chapters highlight and compare the efficiency and economic advantages of phytoremediation and nano-phytoremediation to currently practiced soil and water treatment practices. Volume 6 of Phytoremediation: Management of Environmental Contaminants continues the series. Taken together, the six volumes provide a broad–based global synopsis of the current applications of phytoremediation using plants and the microbial communities associated with their roots to decontaminate terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Phytoremediation Technology for the Removal of Heavy Metals and Other Contaminants from Soil and Water focuses on the exploitation of plants and their associated microbes as a tool to degrade/detoxify/stabilize toxic and hazardous contaminants and restore the contaminated site. The book introduces various phytoremediation technologies using an array of plants and their associated microbes for environmental cleanup and sustainable development. The book mainly focuses on the remediation of toxic and hazardous environmental contaminants, their phytoremediation mechanisms and strategies, advances and challenges in the current scenario. This book is intended to appeal to students, researchers, scientists and a wide range of professionals responsible for regulating, monitoring and designing industrial waste facilities. Engineering consultants, industrial waste managers and purchasing department managers, government regulators, and graduate students will also find this book invaluable. Provides natural and eco-friendly solutions to deal with the problem of pollution Details underlying mechanisms of phytoremediation of organic and inorganic contaminants with enzymatic roles Describes numerous, successful field studies on the application of phytoremediation for eco-restoration of contaminated sites Presents recent advances and challenges in phytoremediation research and applications for sustainable development Provides authoritative contributions on the diverse aspects of phytoremediation by world leading experts

An in-depth look at the most promising technology for metal remediation. With current cleanup methodologies offering no real solution to the serious environmental implications of toxic metal contamination, there is a growing need among remediation professionals for effective, affordable, nonpolluting alternatives to energy-intensive engineering processes. This book presents one such promising alternative-the extraordinary new technology of phytoremediation. Through first-rate contributions from the top scientists in the field, Phytoremediation of Toxic Metals surveys worldwide pioneering efforts in the use of plants to treat contamination of such metals as lead, cadmium, chromium, and even radionuclides. The authors explore all major aspects of the technology-how it utilizes the metal-accumulating properties of selected or engineered plants to remove toxic metals from soils and water, how to transfer knowledge from the laboratory to the field, and what methods are most viable for commercial application. Complete, state-of-the-art coverage includes: * The economic advantages of plant-based technology * Regulatory considerations for future phytoremediation * Phytoextraction, phytostabilization, and phytofiltration of toxic metals * Photostabilization of metals using hybrid poplar trees * Phytovolatilization for the special case of mercury and selenium * The biological mechanisms of metal-accumulating plants

Phytoremediation aids to augment bioremediation as it uses broad range plants to remediate soil, sediment, surface water and ground water that have been contaminated with toxic metals, organic, pesticides and radionuclides. This book serves to disseminate detailed up to date knowledge regarding the various aspects of phytoremediation and plant-microbe interaction. The book highlights process and molecular mechanisms for industrial waste detoxification during phytoremediation in wetland plants, role of endophytic bacteria for phytoremediation of environmental pollutants, constructed wetland treatment system for treatment and recycling of hazardous wastewater, amongst other relevant topics. Key Features: Focuses on phytoremediation process for different pollutants, mainly heavy metal detoxification in the presence of other co-pollutants. Includes plant-soil-microbe interactions in phytoremediations and remediation of contaminated water. Explores life cycle assessment of industrial waste contaminated site with organic pollutants. Discusses hyperaccumulator versus non-hyperaccumulator plants for environmental waste management. Includes bacterial assisted phytoremediation and siderophore formation in specific environmental conditions.

This text details the plant-assisted remediation method, “phytoremediation”, which involves the interaction of plant roots and associated rhizospheric microorganisms for the remediation of soil contaminated with high levels of metals, pesticides, solvents, radionuclides, explosives, crude oil, organic compounds and various other contaminants. Many chapters highlight and compare the efficiency and economic advantages of phytoremediation to currently practiced soil and water treatment practices. Volume 5 of Phytoremediation: Management of Environmental Contaminants provides the capstone of the series. Taken together, the five volumes provide a broad–based global synopsis of the current applications of phytoremediation using plants and the microbial communities associated with their roots to decontaminate terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

This book details the plant-assisted remediation method, “phytoremediation”, which involves the interaction of plant roots and associated rhizospheric microorganisms for the remediation of soil contaminated with high levels of metals, pesticides, solvents, radionuclides, explosives, crude oil, organic compounds and various other contaminants. Each chapter highlights and compares the beneficial and economical alternatives of phytoremediation to currently practiced soil removal and burial practices.