Pedosphere 23(5): 549--563, 2013
ISSN 1002-0160/CN 32-1315/P
©2013 Soil Science Society of China
Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press
Interactions between arbuscular mycorrhizae and plants in phytoremediation of metal-contaminated soils: A review
Leung Ho-Man1, WANG Zhen-Wen2, YE Zhi-Hong3, YUNG Kin-Lam1, PENG Xiao-Ling4 and CHEUNG Kwai-Chung5
1Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR (Chhina)
2School of Biological Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009 (China)
3State Key Laboratory for Bio-control and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006 (China)
4Division of Science and Technology, BNU-HKBU United International College, Zhuhai 519085 (China)
5 5Department of Applied Sciences, Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Chai Wan), Hong Kong SAR (China)
ABSTRACT
      Metal contamination in the environment is a global concern due to its high toxicity to living organisms and its worldwide distribution. The principal goal of this review is to examine the current strategies and technologies for the remediation of metal-contaminated soils by metal-accumulating plants and assess the roles of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in remediation of soils under hyperaccumulator or non-accumulator plants. The use of plants to remove metals from the environment or reduce the toxicity, known as phytoremediation, is an environmentally sustainable and low cost remediation technology. The mechanisms of the use of hyperaccumulator plants for phytoremediation included solubilization of the metal in the soil matrix, the plant uptake of the metal, detoxification/chelation and sequestration, and volatilization. Recently, some ecologists have found that phytoremediation with the aids of mycorrhizae can enhance efficiency in the removal of toxic metals. AM fungi can facilitate the survival of their host plants growing on metal-contaminated land by enhancing their nutrient acquisition, protecting them from the metal toxicity, absorbing metals, and also enhancing phytostabilization and phytoextraction. Such information may be useful for developing phytoremediation program at metal-contaminated sites.
Key Words:  AM fungi, heavy metals, hyperaccumulator plant, phytoextraction, phytostabilization
Citation: Leung, H. M., Wang, Z. W., Ye, Z. H., Yung, K. L., Peng, X. L. and Cheung, K. C. 2013. Interactions between arbuscular mycorrhizae and plants in phytoremediation of metal-contaminated soils: A review. Pedosphere. 23(5): 549-563.
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