Microbes in heavy metal remediation

Heavy metal contamination due to natural and anthropogenic sources is a global environmental concern. Release of heavy metal without proper treatment poses a significant threat to public health because of its persistence, biomagnification and accumulation in food chain. Non-biodegradability and sludge production are the two major constraints of metal treatment. Microbial metal bioremediation is an efficient strategy due to its low cost, high efficiency and ecofriendly nature. Recent advances have been made in understanding metal--microbe interaction and their application for metal accumulation/detoxification. This article summarizes the potentials of microbes in metal remediation.