Bioremediation of Heavy Metals in Soil by Rhizobacteria for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security

Abstract

Sustainable agriculture has become important to meet the increasing food demand. However, problems like soil pollution and heavy metals accumulation are threatening to achieve the goals of sustainability and food security. Heavy metals are accumulating in the soil rapidly because of the industrial revolution. These metals affect crop physiology, morphology, and yield and enter into the food web of an ecosystem. They are nondegradable but can be transformed into a nontoxic form. Bioremediation, a process of using microbes to remove contaminants from the environment, is an effective way to prevent these metals from entering the food chain. The plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria can neutralize the interaction between the heavy metals and plants by different mechanisms. This chapter covers the role of rhizobacteria in reducing the concentration of five major heavy metals (viz. Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Lead, and Mercury) in soil emphasizing the mechanisms and strategies involved in the bioremediation process. © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights are reserved including those for text and data mining AI training and similar technologies.