Biology and Biotechnology of Environmental Stress Tolerance in Plants, Volume 3: Sustainable Approaches for

Enhancing Environmental Stress Tolerance. Aryadeep Roychoudhury (Ed.)

© 2024 Apple Academic Press, Inc. C

Press (Taylor & Francis)

o-published with CRC

CHAPTER 1

Soil Microorganisms and Nematodes

for Bioremediation and Amelioration of

Polluted Soils

MD. BASIT RAZA,¹ JYOTIRMAYA SAHOO,¹ BISWARANJAN BEHERA,²

AJIN S. ANIL,¹ RAHUL KUMAR TIWARI,³ and MILAN KUMAR LAL^3*

1Division of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry,

ICAR–Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India

2ICAR–Indian Institute of Water Management, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India

3ICAR–Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India

*Corresponding author.

E-mails: [email protected]; [email protected]

ABSTRACT

Widespread industrialization and anthropogenic activities have increased

the accumulation of toxic pollutants that includes most importantly heavy

metals that pose a serious threat to human and aquatic lives. Industries

being the major source of environmental pollution are indiscriminately

releasing toxic and hazardous wastes (both organic and inorganic) resulting

in worsening of the existing situation. In order to mitigate the toxic effect

of heavy metals, there are a large array of physical and chemical methods

were adapted for remediation of these metals from the soil and water

bodies. These techniques, however, are costly and energy-intensive, because

secondary air or groundwater contamination, and can affect soil microbial

diversity, making bioremediation a more desirable option. The method of

bioremediation comprises the use of microorganisms which include the