See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/323258510

Heavy Metal Toxicity in Soils: Sources, Remediation Technologies and

Challenges Submit Manuscript |

Article  in  Advances in Plants & Agriculture Research · November 2016

DOI: 10.15406/apar.2016.05.00166

CITATIONS READS

41 4,349

1 author:

Gagan Preet Singh Sidhu

Panjab University
35 PUBLICATIONS   2,499 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Heavy metals View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Gagan Preet Singh Sidhu on 19 February 2018.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 Advances in Plants & Agriculture Research

Heavy Metal Toxicity in Soils: Sources, Remediation

Technologies and Challenges

Abstract Mini Review

Agricultural soils are receiving tremendous amount of pollutants from the various Volume 5 Issue 1 - 2016
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
Department of Environment Studies, Panjab University, India
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 *Corresponding author: Gagan Preet Singh Sidhu,
remediation technologies involved in their removal from the soil. Department of Environment Studies, Panjab University,
Chandigarh, India, Email:
Keywords: Anthropogenic sources; Metals / Metalloids; Remediation techniques;
Soil pollution Received: June 23, 2016 | Published: November 04, 2016

Introduction elevated heavy metal levels in the agricultural soils depend on

the characteristics of the soil and the rate of application by the
Soil pollution with heavy metals draws a serious concern supplier with its elemental concentration. These heavy metals or
because of their detrimental effects on the living biota. The metalloids do not undergo microbial and chemical degradation
persistent and non-biodegradable nature of heavy metals eases and persist in the soil for longer duration. Due to the increasing
their accumulation in the environment. Agricultural soils are awareness among the public and the detrimental effects of these
receiving tremendous amount of pollutants from the various contaminants on human health, scientific communities are
sources. During the last few decades, rapid urbanization, focusing on development of some new technologies for removal
industrialization, injudicious and faulty agricultural practices of these metals from contaminated soils. This review focuses on
influence the release of metal contaminants in the agricultural sources of heavy metals in soil, strategies or the technologies
fields. Heavy metal contamination in agricultural soils may involved in their removal from the contaminated soils and
impart functional disorders of soils, retarded plant growth and further the challenges involved in use of various amendments for
even harm the health of humans through contamination of food remediation of soils.
chain. The heavy metals bioaccumulate in the living systems
and their concentrations increase as they pass from organism of Sources of Heavy Metals in Soil
lower trophic level to higher trophic level, a phenomenon known
as biological concentration. According to Babula et al. [1] heavy Both natural and anthropogenic inputs are correlated with
metals are the ill-defined subset of elements having a higher the distribution of heavy metals in the soils. Natural sources
molecular weight that includes transition metals, some metalloids, include geological breakdown of parent rock materials, volcanic
lanthanides and actinides with specific density greater than water, eruptions etc. Anthropogenic inputs like extensive use of
i.e., 5g cm-3. They are classified as essential and non-essential on agrochemicals (inorganic and organic) fertilizers, pesticides,
the basis of their function in living organisms. Essential heavy waste water irrigation, sewage sludge supplementation, higher
metals like Zinc (Zn), Nickel (Ni), Manganese (Mn) and Iron (Fe) atmospheric depositions by industrial units and combustion
etc are required by the plants for performing various physiological of fossil fuels have led to elevated level of inorganic pollutants
and biochemical functions. Non-essential heavy metals like Lead in the soils [3]. Fungicides, phosphate fertilizers and inorganic
(Pb), Aresenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr) and Mercury fertilizers have variable levels of Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni, Zn etc depending
(Hg) etc have no physiological role and they entered the living upon their sources. The repeated use of phosphate fertilizers
systems through food chain. Beyond critical limits, heavy metals continuously making the agricultural soils enriched with heavy
impart hazardous impact on human health as they hinder the metals. Both natural and anthropogenic sources of heavy metals
normal functioning of the living systems. ATSDR [2] has listed in the environment are illustrated in Figure 1.
arsenic, lead, mercury and cadmium at first, second, third and Remediation Technologies Involved In Removal of
seventh position in terms of their frequency, toxicity and potency
for human exposure. The increasing production of livestock and Heavy Metals From Soil
poultry products has led to generation of large amount of wastes Several measures have been devised for remediation of heavy
into the soil from the industries. The large quantity of waste metals from contaminated sites. USEPA [4] classified remediation
produced must be treated properly keeping into consideration measures of contaminated soils into two types: in-situ and ex-situ
the environmental measures involved in land treatment. The treatment. In in-situ treatment, soil is treated at its original place,

Submit Manuscript | http://medcraveonline.com Adv Plants Agric Res 2016, 5(1): 00166
 Copyright:
Heavy Metal Toxicity in Soils: Sources, Remediation Technologies and Challenges ©2016 Sidhu 2/3

whereas in ex-situ the contaminated soil is moved, excavated and rhizofilteration, phytovolatalization and phytodegradation [9].
removed from the site. Further, the remediation technologies can Phytoextraction involves the transfer of metals from the soil to
be divided as physical remediation, chemical remediation and the above ground plant parts, thereby resulting in a decrease in
biological remediation. metal concentration in the contaminated soils. On the other hand,
phytostabilization refers to the use of plants to reduce mobility
Natural
Sources
Anthropogenic
Sources
and bioavailability of the metals in the soil. Rhizofilteration
involves the use of plant roots to remove toxic materials from
the contaminated water. Phytovolatalization involves the
Weathering and Organic and absorption of contaminants from the soil by the plants, their
Abrasion of Rocks Inorganic Fertilizers
upward movement and then release from the aerial parts.
Phytodegradation, however, involves the use of plant roots and
Volcanic Eruptions Sewage Sludge associated microbes to degrade the pollutants present in the soil
Heavy Metal [10]. Of these strategies, phytoextraction and phytovolatalization
Sources in the
Environment are the main options for the removal of heavy metals, whereas
Fossil fuel
Forest Fires
combustion phytostabilization and phytodegradation are largely used
for organic contaminants [11]. Another method of biological
Aerosols formation Industrial
remediation is the use of microbes for removal of heavy metals.
over Seas Processes The microorganisms change the physical and chemical properties
of the pollutants and thus affect the mobility and transformation
Figure 1: Sources of heavy metals in the environment. of heavy metals in the soils.

Challenges Related to Remediation Technologies

Physical remediation
The remediation technologies described above are costly,
The physical remediation of soils mainly includes replacement
time-consuming and laborious, so efforts are made to increase
of soil and thermal desorption of soil. In soil replacement
the solubility of these metals in the soil so that they can be
method, the contaminated soil is partly replaced by clean soil
freely available for the removal. The use of chelating agents and
so as to minimize the concentration of contaminant in the soil
surfactants in remediation technologies to increase the removal
[5]. However, this method is costly and is feasible only in a small
of pollutants from the soil pose serious problems like leaching of
area. On the contrary, in the thermal desorption method, the
contaminants to groundwater and remobilization of metals in the
contaminated soil is heated so as to volatilize the pollutant in the
soils due to their highly stable nature.
soil. These volatile metals are collected using vacuum pressure
and are thus removed from the soil [5]. However, being laborious Conclusion
and costly, this method finds limited applicability in remediation
of soils. The toxicity of heavy metals in the soil is one of the serious
problems in the world. The various in-situ and ex-situ technologies
Chemical remediation available for contaminated soils are employed to reduce, remove
and degrade the heavy metals from the soil. However, the chelating
Chemical remediation involves chemical leaching, chemical
agents or surfactants used in these technologies can get leached
fixation, electrokinetic remediation and vitrification etc. The
to the groundwater, thereby harming the water table. Moreover,
chemical leaching process involves the washing of contaminated
the amendments used for immobilizing the contaminants may not
soils with water, reagents, fluids and gases that helps the pollutant
be specific for a particular metal and thus can lead to release of a
to leach out from the soil. The metals extracted by this method
toxic metal into the soil. Thus more studies are needed in future to
are recovered from the leachate by using chelating agents,
develop new methods that can effectively lead to removal of heavy
surfactant etc. [6]. In chemical fixation, some reagents are added
metals from the contaminated soil.
to the contaminated soils that form insoluble bond with the
heavy metals and decrease their mobility in the soils [7]. The soil Acknowledgement
contaminated by heavy metals can be remediated by the process
of electrokinetic remediation, which involves the application of Gagan Preet Singh Sidhu is thankful to UGC, New Delhi, India
high voltage to the soil for the removal of metal [8]. Lastly, the for providing financial support in the form of MANF fellowship.
process of vitrification involves heating of the soil at very high
temperature (1400-2000°C) so that the pollutant gets volatilize References
or decompose. However, being costly, laborious and complicated 1. Babula P, Adam V, Opatrilova R, Zehnalek J, Havel L, et al. (2008)
process, its application in removal of contaminants from soil is Uncommon heavy metals, metalloids and their plant toxicity: a
limited. review. Environmental Chemistry Letters 6(4): 189-213.

Biological remediation 2. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) (2015)
CERCLA priority list of hazardous substances.
It includes phytoremediation and microbial remediation for
3. Cai Q, Long ML, Zhu M, Zhou QZ, Zhang L, et al. (2009) Food chain
removal of heavy metals from the soils. Phytoremediation involves transfer of cadmium and lead to cattle in a lead-zinc smelter in
any of the five strategies: phytoextraction, phytostabilization, Guizhou, China. Environ Pollut 157(11): 3078-3082.

Citation: Sidhu GPS (2016) Heavy Metal Toxicity in Soils: Sources, Remediation Technologies and Challenges. Adv Plants Agric Res 5(1): 00166. DOI:
10.15406/apar.2016.05.00166
 Copyright:
Heavy Metal Toxicity in Soils: Sources, Remediation Technologies and Challenges ©2016 Sidhu 3/3

4. USEPA (2007) Treatment technologies for site cleanup: annual status 8. Luo QS, Zhang XH, Wang H, Qian Y (2004) Mobilization of 2,
report (12th edn), Technical Report EPA-542-R-07-012, Solid Waste 4-dichlorophenol in soils by non-uniform electrokinetics. Acta
and Emergency Response (5203P), Washington DC, USA. Scientiae Circumstantiae 24(6): 1104-1109.
5. Li J, Zhang GN, Li Y (2010) Review on the remediation technologies of 9. Salt DE, Smith RD, Raskin I (1998) Phytoremediation. Annual Review
POPs. Hebei Environmental Science 65-68. of Plant Biology 49: 643-668.
6. Tampouris S, Papassiopi N, Paspaliaris I (2001) Removal of 10. Salt DE, Blaylock M, Kumar NPBA, Dushenkov V, Ensley D, et al. (1995)
contaminant metals from fine grained soils, using agglomeration, Phytoremediation: a novel strategy for the removal of toxic metals
chloride solutions and pile leaching techniques. J Hazard Mater 84(2- from the environment using plants. Biotechnology 13(5): 468-474.
3): 297-319.
11. Guerinot ML, Salt DE (2001) Fortified foods and phytoremediation.
7. Zhou DM, Hao XZ, Xue Y (2004) Advances in remediation technologies Two sides of the same coin. Plant Physiol 125(1): 164-167.
of contaminated soils. Ecology and Environmental Sciences 13(2):
234-242.

Citation: Sidhu GPS (2016) Heavy Metal Toxicity in Soils: Sources, Remediation Technologies and Challenges. Adv Plants Agric Res 5(1): 00166. DOI:
10.15406/apar.2016.05.00166

View publication stats