An insight into microbes mediated heavy metal detoxification in plants : a review

In this era of rapid industrialization and modernization, contamination of the environment with heavy metals from natural and anthropogenic sources without proper disposal treatment is a global concern. Huge amounts of toxic heavy metals (HM) released through industrial, agricultural, and military practices into the environment lead to pernicious effects on soils, water, and air. Deposited toxic HM beyond certain permissible limits is producing an obnoxious effect not only on the soil but also on human and animal health. Application of physical and chemical processes for HM remediation is expensive, laborious, and non-sustainable. Under metal stress, soil microbes have developed various mechanisms to cope with metal toxicity. They can accumulate, alter, or detoxify HM. Therefore, the exploitation of microbes acquiring metal detoxifying traits in addition to plant beneficial attributes make the metal remediation process eco-friendly and cost-effective. Plant–microbe interactions aiming at HM stress may provide a new way to existing phytoremediation and rhizoremediation uses. This review includes a brief insight into heavy metal pollution, their effect on plant biology, and metal-microbe association and highlights the various mechanisms of microbes mediated heavy metal detoxification in plants.