Enhanced Phytoextraction Technologies for the Sustainable Remediation of Cadmium-Contaminated Soil Based on Hyperaccumulators—A Review

Author: mycolabadmin
1/3/2025
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Summary

Cadmium contamination of farmland is a serious global problem that threatens food safety and human health. This review explores how special plants called hyperaccumulators can extract cadmium from soil, and how scientists can boost their effectiveness through various methods like beneficial bacteria, improved farming techniques, and special chemicals. The research shows that combining multiple enhancement strategies works better than using any single approach, offering hope for cleaning up polluted agricultural lands sustainably.

Background

Cadmium contamination in agricultural soils is a significant global environmental and health concern, with over 20 million hectares of land contaminated worldwide. Cadmium exhibits non-degradability and persistence, posing risks to soil ecosystems and human health through food chains. Phytoextraction using hyperaccumulator plants offers a cost-effective and environmentally friendly remediation approach.

Objective

This review comprehensively examines germplasm resources and assisted phytoextraction strategies for cadmium hyperaccumulator plants. The goal is to provide a theoretical framework for developing and applying cadmium pollution remediation technologies in agricultural soils while addressing limitations such as low biomass and slow growth of hyperaccumulators.

Results

Over 700 hyperaccumulator species have been identified globally, with cadmium hyperaccumulators mainly concentrated in five plant families. Multiple assisted phytoextraction strategies show promising results: PGPB inoculation increased biomass by 20-170% and cadmium removal by 40-228%; intercropping systems improved extraction efficiency by 35-268%; chelate application enhanced cadmium absorption by 21-39%; nanotechnology increased cadmium content by up to 1.85 times; elevated CO2 increased stem cadmium absorption by 44-48%.

Conclusion

Assisted phytoextraction using cadmium hyperaccumulators represents a viable approach for sustainable soil remediation. Integrated strategies combining multiple enhancement methods show greater potential than single approaches. Future research should focus on developing environmentally friendly stimulators, optimizing field-scale applications, and managing ecological risks associated with introduced organisms and nanoparticles.

Published in:Plants (Basel),
Study Type:Review,
Source: PMID: 39795375