ABSTRACT
The land degradation due to accumulation of contaminants from industrial effluents, mining activities and other toxic contaminants is becoming a major concern. The bioremediation using microorganisms and plants plays a vital role in the habitat restoration. Various mechanisms such as phytoextraction, phytostabilization, phytodegradation, phytovolatalization, rhizofiltration are used by plants to prevent the metals reaching the aerial parts and the food chain. The presence of heavy metals cause disturbance in essential metal absorption, leading to stunted growth and low productivity. Phytoremediation is a widely used technique for remediation of mining sites by planting hyper accumulating plants. Mycorrhizal fungi (especially Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi-AMF), ubiquitous in nature, are obligate symbionts, and play a key role in alleviating heavy metal contamination and other abiotic and biotic stresses in the plants. AMF live in symbiotic association with plants (through roots) and are involved in nutrient exchange. Use of Mycorrhiza in bioremediation is known as mycorrhiziremediation and it is an advanced method of phytoremediation. This chapter discusses mechanisms of phytoremediation and mycorrhizoremediation in the remediation of contaminated soils.
