Hyperaccumulator

Food chain

Soil water

Organic chemistry

Mercury (programming language)

Environmental protection

Phytoremediation

Soil contamination

Biology

Environmental chemistry

Contamination

Soil science

Chemistry

Ecology

Programming language

Heavy metals

Computer science

Environmental remediation

Metal

Metalloid

Environmental science

Pollution

Cadmium

Soil and Sediment Contamination An International Journal

Soil heavy metal pollution has become a worldwide environmental issue that has attracted considerable public attention, largely from the increasing concern for the security of agricultural products. Heavy metals refer to some metals and metalloids possessing biological toxicity, such as cadmium, mercury, arsenic, lead, and chromium. These elements enter the soil agro-ecosystem through natural processes derived from parent materials, and through anthropogenic activities. Heavy metal pollution poses a great threat to the health and well-being of organisms and human beings due to potential accumulation risk through the food chain. Remediation using chemical, physical, and biological methods has been adopted to solve the problem. Phytoremediation has proven to be a promising alternative to conventional approaches as it is cost effective, environmentally friendly, and aesthetically pleasing. To date, based on the natural ability of extraction, approximately 500 taxa have been identified as hyperaccumulators of one or more metals. In addition, further research integrating biotechnological approaches with comprehensive multidisciplinary research is needed to improve plant tolerance and reduce the accumulation of toxic metals in soils. This review discusses harmful effects, sources of heavy metals, and the remediation technologies for soil contaminated by heavy metals.

A Review on Heavy Metals Contamination in Soil: Effects, Sources, and Remediation Techniques