Chapter 24 - Phytomanagement of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Heavy Metals-Contaminated Sites in Assam, North Eastern State of India, for Boosting Bioeconomy

Abstract

In today's changing times microbial biotechnology for management of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metal-contaminated sites has advanced quite a lot, and this has brought about numerous significant developments in the global bioeconomy. As a result of the 19th-century industrial revolution and its developments thereafter, the foremost problem that has appeared regarding the ecosystem is the influx of hazardous contaminants. The biological techniques that have been applied to manage these hazardous compounds are together known as bioremediation, which directly or indirectly enhances crop productivity on a global scale by decontaminating the PAHs and heavy metal-contaminated crop fields, as substantiated by research evidence. In this chapter we have pointed out a case of pollution occurring due to exploration of crude oil and provide a brief overview of the associated problems occurring in and around the tea gardens and rice fields of upper Assam where crude oil spills are a common feature. Tea, rice, and petroleum are extremely important for the Indian national economy. The production of petroleum, however, has, to a great extent, had a negative impact on rice cultivation and tea plantation when it spills into cultivated areas. In this context we have summarized here methods to decontaminate the rice fields and tea gardens by the application of beneficial plant microbes to boost the Indian bioeconomy. Emphasis has also been given on how the services of beneficial plants and microbes can be capitalized for the management of PAHs and heavy metal-contaminated sites.