Phytoremediation potential of medicinal and aromatic plants

Abstract

Heavy metal stress has become a serious environmental challenge that has invited tremendous attention globally particularly for the safety of agricultural products. Heavy metals which refer to metals and metalloids such as cadmium, chromium, mercury, arsenic, and lead enter the soil largely through the anthropogenic activities and other natural processes. On account of their non-biodegradable nature, heavy metals lead to soil/water pollution and subsequently pose a severe threat to living systems through the food chain. Plants are subjected to oxidative stress which disturbs the redox homeostasis of the cells and as a result affects agricultural yield and production. To mitigate this critical problem, phytoremediation has come forward as a safe, affordable, and ecologically sustainable solution than conventional physicochemical decontamination methods. Phytoremediation is an eco-friendly approach wherein the natural processes of plants and related microbes are utilized to remediate heavy metal-contaminated spots in order to safeguard the environment and general well-being. Different regulatory systems of plants are geared up that work synergistically to combat the stress in the contaminated sites. Several plant species have been identified to extort heavy metals from the contaminated soil. Medicinal and aromatic plants serving as non-food crops can be utilized for effective remediation of contaminated sites without the risk of food contamination. In this chapter, we have documented the impact of heavy metals on plants, the subsequent oxidative stress inflicted, and the phytoremediation potential of medicinal and aromatic plants on heavy metal-mediated contaminations. Apart from their benefits for remediation of heavy metal-contaminated zones, an insight into the mechanistic aspect of phytoremediation capability of certain medicinal and aromatic plants for sustainable approach has also been documented.