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Metallic Trace Elements in Soil: Persistence, Toxicity, Bioaccumulation, and Biological Remediation

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Nutrition and Human Health

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Abstract

Metallic trace elements are toxic substances, nonbiodegradable, highly soluble, easily bioaccumulate, and persist for long periods in different spheres of the environment. These properties give them the ability to accumulate in the food chains and induce multiple health damage, even at lower levels of exposures. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop remediation technologies of these elements to protect soil, plants, animals as well as human health. Physical and chemical remediation technologies have the drawback of being often expensive and difficult to implement and release additional waste to the environment.

Phytoremediation and immobilization techniques are frequently listed among the best demonstrated available technologies for remediation of metal-contaminated soils. This chapter comprehensively reviews the different aspects of metallic trace elements as hazardous materials with special focus on their toxicity, persistence, bioaccumulation environmental issues, health risks, and remediation technologies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Center for Research and Studies on Water and Energy, CNEREE, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco

    Laila Midhat, Laila Mandi & Naaila Ouazzani

  2. Laboratory of Water, Biodiversity and Climate Change, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco

    Laila Midhat, Laila Mandi & Naaila Ouazzani

  3. Department of Health and Agro-Industry Engineering, High School of Engineering and Innovation of Marrakech (E2IM), Private University of Marrakech (UPM), Marrakech, Morocco

    Laila Midhat

  4. Agroindustrial, Environmental and Ecological Processes Team, Faculty of Science and Techniques of Beni Mellal, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Beni-Mellal, Morocco

    Abdessamad Tounsi

  5. Laboratory of Microbial Biotechnologies, Agrosciences and Environment (BioMAgE), Team of Agrosciences, PhytoBiodiversity and Environment, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco

    Hamza Zine

  6. Biological Engineering Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Beni Mellal, Morocco

    Hasna Merzouki

Authors
  1. Laila Midhat
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  2. Laila Mandi
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  3. Naaila Ouazzani
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  4. Abdessamad Tounsi
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  5. Hamza Zine
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  6. Hasna Merzouki
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Biological Engineering, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Beni Mellal, Morocco

    Hicham Chatoui

  2. Biological Engineering Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Beni Mellal, Morocco

    Mohamed Merzouki

  3. Health and Agro-Industry Engineering Department, E2IM, Private University of Marrakech (UPM), Marrakech, Morocco

    Hanane Moummou

  4. Biological Engineering Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Beni Mellal, Morocco

    Mounir Tilaoui

  5. Health and Agro-Industry Engineering, High School of Engineering and Innovation of Marrakech (E2IM), Private University of Marrakech (UPM), Marrakech, Morocco

    Nabila Saadaoui

  6. Laboratory of Biological Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Beni-Mellal, Morocco

    Amina Brhich

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Midhat, L., Mandi, L., Ouazzani, N., Tounsi, A., Zine, H., Merzouki, H. (2022). Metallic Trace Elements in Soil: Persistence, Toxicity, Bioaccumulation, and Biological Remediation. In: Chatoui, H., Merzouki, M., Moummou, H., Tilaoui, M., Saadaoui, N., Brhich, A. (eds) Nutrition and Human Health. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-93971-7_5

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