Biomagnification

Ecology

Biology

Agroforestry

Bioremediation

Environmental remediation

Revegetation

Soil water

Edible plants

Food chain

Environmental chemistry

Soil contamination

Contamination

Land reclamation

Phytoremediation

Environmental science

Soil science

Heavy metals

Phytoextraction process

Chemistry

Hyperaccumulator

Frontiers in Plant Science

Heavy metal accumulation in soil has been rapidly increased due to various natural processes and anthropogenic (industrial) activities. As heavy metals are non-biodegradable, they persist in the environment, have potential to enter the food chain through crop plants, and eventually may accumulate in the human body through biomagnification. Owing to their toxic nature, heavy metal contamination has posed a serious threat to human health and the ecosystem. Therefore, remediation of land contamination is of paramount importance. Phytoremediation is an eco-friendly approach that could be a successful mitigation measure to revegetate heavy metal-polluted soil in a cost-effective way. To improve the efficiency of phytoremediation, a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying heavy metal accumulation and tolerance in plant is indispensable. In this review, we describe the mechanisms of how heavy metals are taken up, translocated, and detoxified in plants. We focus on the strategies applied to improve the efficiency of phytostabilization and phytoextraction, including the application of genetic engineering, microbe-assisted and chelate-assisted approaches.

Phytoremediation: A Promising Approach for Revegetation of Heavy Metal-Polluted Land