Heavy Metal Toxicity in Soils: Sources, Remediation Technologies and Challenges

Abstract

Agricultural soils are receiving tremendous amount of pollutants from the various sources. Heavy metal contamination in agricultural soils may impart functional disorders of soils, retarded plant growth and even harm the health of humans through contamination of food chain. These heavy metals or metalloids do not undergo microbial and chemical degradation and persist in the soil for longer duration. This review emphasizes on the sources of heavy metals in soil and remediation technologies involved in their removal from the soil.