Causes, Effects and Sustainable Approaches
to Remediate Contaminated Soil
16
Meenu Gautam, Srishti Mishra, and Madhoolika Agrawal
Abstract
Growing population, increase in urbanization and escalating standards of living
have contributed to substantial increases in both quantity and quality of generated
wastes (51%, mining and metallurgical; 32%, agricultural; 13%, domestic and
municipal; 3%, urban infrastructure and transportation; and rest 1%). Soil is the
major sink for a wide range of pollutants, carried by discarded wastes which
ultimately affect the terrestrial ecosystems. This chapter aims to describe the
toxicological impacts of organic and inorganic pollutants on plants, animals and
human beings. Besides, the study encapsulates different strategies to manage
generated solid wastes and bioremediation of contaminated sites. Major soil
pollutants include persistent organic compounds, volatile organic carbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides, azo dyes,
heavy metal(loid)s and non-metals. Pollutants in soil beyond their threshold
levels may lead to adverse effects on plants such as alteration in plant community
structure, crop yield loss, etc. Crop loss or nutritional loss in edible part of plants
variably or invariably affects the countries’ economy. Accumulation of
contaminants in edible plant parts beyond FAO/WHO safe limits may lead to
food chain contamination and affects the human health adversely. Several conventional technologies are available for remediation of contaminated sites, but
phytoremediation
(phytostabilization,
phytofilteration,
phytoextraction,
phytodegradation and phytovolatilization) is the cost-effective and sustainable
technique. Phytoremediation using naturally occurring hyperaccumulators, transgenic plants and organic/inorganic soil amendments and in conjugation with
microbes have now been ascended as promising and highly efficient technologies
in remediation of obstinate pollutants in soil. Thus, phytoremediation techniques
M. Gautam · S. Mishra · M. Agrawal (*)
Laboratory of Air Pollution and Global Climate Change, Department of Botany, Institute of
Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
# Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
R. Prasad (ed.), Environmental Pollution and Remediation, Environmental and
Microbial Biotechnology, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-5499-5_16
451
to Remediate Contaminated Soil
16
Meenu Gautam, Srishti Mishra, and Madhoolika Agrawal
Abstract
Growing population, increase in urbanization and escalating standards of living
have contributed to substantial increases in both quantity and quality of generated
wastes (51%, mining and metallurgical; 32%, agricultural; 13%, domestic and
municipal; 3%, urban infrastructure and transportation; and rest 1%). Soil is the
major sink for a wide range of pollutants, carried by discarded wastes which
ultimately affect the terrestrial ecosystems. This chapter aims to describe the
toxicological impacts of organic and inorganic pollutants on plants, animals and
human beings. Besides, the study encapsulates different strategies to manage
generated solid wastes and bioremediation of contaminated sites. Major soil
pollutants include persistent organic compounds, volatile organic carbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides, azo dyes,
heavy metal(loid)s and non-metals. Pollutants in soil beyond their threshold
levels may lead to adverse effects on plants such as alteration in plant community
structure, crop yield loss, etc. Crop loss or nutritional loss in edible part of plants
variably or invariably affects the countries’ economy. Accumulation of
contaminants in edible plant parts beyond FAO/WHO safe limits may lead to
food chain contamination and affects the human health adversely. Several conventional technologies are available for remediation of contaminated sites, but
phytoremediation
(phytostabilization,
phytofilteration,
phytoextraction,
phytodegradation and phytovolatilization) is the cost-effective and sustainable
technique. Phytoremediation using naturally occurring hyperaccumulators, transgenic plants and organic/inorganic soil amendments and in conjugation with
microbes have now been ascended as promising and highly efficient technologies
in remediation of obstinate pollutants in soil. Thus, phytoremediation techniques
M. Gautam · S. Mishra · M. Agrawal (*)
Laboratory of Air Pollution and Global Climate Change, Department of Botany, Institute of
Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
# Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
R. Prasad (ed.), Environmental Pollution and Remediation, Environmental and
Microbial Biotechnology, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-5499-5_16
451