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Recent advances in the bioremediation of arsenic-contaminated soils: a mini review

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Abstract

The carcinogenic metalloid arsenic (As), owing to its persistent behavior in elevated levels in soils, aggravates environmental and human health concerns. The current strategies used in the As decontamination involve several physical and chemical approaches. However, it involves high cost and even leads to secondary pollution. Therefore, it is quite imperative to explore methods that can eradicate As menace from the environment in an eco-friendly, efficient, and cost-competitive way. Searching for such viable alternatives leads to the option of bioremediation technology by utilizing various microorganisms, green plants, enzymes or even their integrated methods. This review is intended to give scientific and technical details about recent advances in the bioremediation strategies of As in soil. It takes into purview the extent, toxicological manifestations, pathways of As exposure and exemplifies the substantive need of bioremediation technologies such as phytoremediation and biosorption in a descriptive manner. Additionally, the paper looks into the wide potential of some plant growth promoting microorganisms (PGPMs) that improve plant growth on one hand and alleviate As toxicity on the other. Furthermore, it also makes a modest attempt to assimilate the use of nanoparticles, non-living biomass and transgenic crops which are the emerging alternative bioremediation technologies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, West Bengal State University, Barasat, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700126, India

    Aritri Laha

  2. Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal, 741252, India

    Aritri Laha & Somnath Bhattacharyya

  3. Department of Agricultural Chemistry and Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal, 741252, India

    Sudip Sengupta, Parijat Bhattacharya & Kallol Bhattacharyya

  4. School of Agriculture, Swami Vivekananda University, Barrackpore, Kolkata, West Bengal, 700121, India

    Sudip Sengupta

  5. School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Manchester, M5 4WT, UK

    Jajati Mandal

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  1. Aritri Laha
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Contributions

A.L. and P.B. wrote the main manuscript text; J.M. and S.S. reviewed and prepared the tables; S.B. and K.B. supervised and finalized the manuscript. All authors reviewed the final version of the manuscript and submitted in consensus.

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Laha, A., Sengupta, S., Bhattacharya, P. et al. Recent advances in the bioremediation of arsenic-contaminated soils: a mini review. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 38, 189 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-022-03375-5

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