ABSTRACT
Countries have been forced to increase crop yield due to the world’s expanding population. One out of every three people on the planet is malnourished (according to the International Micronutrient Organization). One of the main reasons for the pollution of natural resources is contamination by heavy metals and many of the heavy metals that act as pollutants also act as trace elements for the human body. A plant used in bioremediation can be used as a source of trace elements as a biofortified food product. Plant-microbe interactions, plant breeding techniques, and genetic engineering processes have all been studied to improve plant ability to uptake heavy metals. In edible plants, the purpose of the biofortification process is to either increase trace element accumulation or bioavailability. Bacterial inoculation to wheat resulted in a remarkable increase in selenium accumulation as well as Ni, Mn, P, Mo, K, Fe, and Ca. Rhodobacter sphaeroides was used to bioremediate soils contaminated with Cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn), and it is a promising technique for heavy metal remediation. Transgenic plants having genes for reductase, transporters, and other enzymes are employed in genetic engineering procedures to create transgenic plants with an improved ability to acquire and utilize heavy metals. The plant wastes produced during the process of bioremediation of heavy metals such as Ca, Zn, and Se can be 2used in biofortification as well as biofertilizer for soil with reduced levels of trace elements as well as fodder for dairy and meat animals to improve food quality. However, the challenge arises with the plant wastes produced by bioremediation of noxious heavy metals like Cd, Arsenic, and Mercury, which are difficult to get rid of. Biofortification and bioremediation are two interconnected aspects of achieving healthy and sustainable social growth, and more research is needed to investigate other options and solutions.
