Chapter 6
VAM: An Alternate Strategy
for Bioremediation of Polluted Environment
Poonam Verma, Suneel Kumar, Mridul Shakya, and Sardul Singh Sandhu
Contents
6.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
6.1.1 Effect of Heavy Metal Toxicity on Plants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
6.1.2 Effect of Various Heavy Metals on Fungi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
6.1.3 Effect of Heavy Metal on Invertebrates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
6.2 Remediation Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
6.3 Types of Remediation Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
6.3.1 On the Basis of Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
6.3.2 On the Basis of Separation Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
6.4 Importance of Biological Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
6.5 Role of Fungi in Bioremediation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
6.6 What Is VAM Fungi? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
6.7 Role of VAM Fungi in Bioremediation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
6.7.1 Process of Detoxification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
6.8 Factors Responsible for Remediation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
6.9 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Abstract Soil remediation is a term that involves a numerous processes designed to
get rid of contaminants like hydrocarbons (petroleum and fuel residues), heavy
metals, pesticides, cyanides, volatiles, or semi-volatiles from soil. Remediation is
required to control the pollution in soil, water, and air that can consequently benefit
commercial cultivation or for wild flora and fauna. AM fungi are ubiquitous in soil
habitat and form beneficial symbiosis with the roots of angiosperms and other plants.
Their life cycle is often obligate in nature. So, use of mycorrhiza in mycoremediation
techniques has generated many productive and long needed studies that examine the
exact mechanisms that are at work. This chapter includes a review of basic remediation techniques and methods for soils and their limits and benefits for environment.
We also discussed the uses of mycorrhiza for phytoremediation processes and
P. Verma · S. Kumar · M. Shakya · S. S. Sandhu (*)
Bio Design Innovation Centre, Ekatm Bhawan, Rani Durgavati University, Jabalpur, MP, India
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
D. G. Panpatte, Y. K. Jhala (eds.), Microbial Rejuvenation of Polluted Environment,
Microorganisms for Sustainability 25, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-7447-4_6
153
VAM: An Alternate Strategy
for Bioremediation of Polluted Environment
Poonam Verma, Suneel Kumar, Mridul Shakya, and Sardul Singh Sandhu
Contents
6.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
6.1.1 Effect of Heavy Metal Toxicity on Plants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
6.1.2 Effect of Various Heavy Metals on Fungi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
6.1.3 Effect of Heavy Metal on Invertebrates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
6.2 Remediation Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
6.3 Types of Remediation Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
6.3.1 On the Basis of Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
6.3.2 On the Basis of Separation Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
6.4 Importance of Biological Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
6.5 Role of Fungi in Bioremediation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
6.6 What Is VAM Fungi? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
6.7 Role of VAM Fungi in Bioremediation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
6.7.1 Process of Detoxification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
6.8 Factors Responsible for Remediation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
6.9 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Abstract Soil remediation is a term that involves a numerous processes designed to
get rid of contaminants like hydrocarbons (petroleum and fuel residues), heavy
metals, pesticides, cyanides, volatiles, or semi-volatiles from soil. Remediation is
required to control the pollution in soil, water, and air that can consequently benefit
commercial cultivation or for wild flora and fauna. AM fungi are ubiquitous in soil
habitat and form beneficial symbiosis with the roots of angiosperms and other plants.
Their life cycle is often obligate in nature. So, use of mycorrhiza in mycoremediation
techniques has generated many productive and long needed studies that examine the
exact mechanisms that are at work. This chapter includes a review of basic remediation techniques and methods for soils and their limits and benefits for environment.
We also discussed the uses of mycorrhiza for phytoremediation processes and
P. Verma · S. Kumar · M. Shakya · S. S. Sandhu (*)
Bio Design Innovation Centre, Ekatm Bhawan, Rani Durgavati University, Jabalpur, MP, India
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
D. G. Panpatte, Y. K. Jhala (eds.), Microbial Rejuvenation of Polluted Environment,
Microorganisms for Sustainability 25, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-7447-4_6
153