Chapter 18 - Biotechnological Tools in the Remediation of Cadmium Toxicity

Abstract

Cadmium (Cd), one of the most abundant toxic heavy metals, is of great concern as an important environmental pollutant and toxicant. At higher concentrations, this metal interferes with the physiological, biochemical, and molecular processes of living systems and poses serious threats to living systems by entering the food chain through bioaccumulation and biomagnification. In contrast to conventional physicochemical techniques, biological methods, which use bacteria, fungi, and plants, have been proved promising as approaches to heavy metal remediation. The microbial ability to bind heavy metals (including Cd) and plant potential for hyperaccumulating toxic heavy metals provide an economical and viable solution for remediating metal-polluted sites. Coupling the synergistic effects of plants and microbes (bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi) as rhizoremediation and mycorrhizoremediation provides a striking environmentally friendly solution for remediating Cd-polluted sites. Bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi are essential components of sustainable soil–plant systems that play a role in increasing plant growth and nutrient uptake, especially under stress conditions. Therefore, soil management using biofertilizers and potential hyperaccumulator plant species as biotechnological tools has enormous potential for the remediation of large-scale polluted sites. This chapter elucidates the potential of these biotechnological tools for remediating Cd contamination from the environment.