ABSTRACT
Organic and inorganic pollutants, released in the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem by various human activities, pose a serious threat to the environment and living beings. Phytoremediation has emerged as a green, passive, and cost-effective approach to environmental cleanup. During phytoremediation of pollutants, plants can take up these pollutants from contaminated media and accumulate/metabolize them in their roots, shoots, and leaves. Although plants suitable for phytoremediation have to be adapted to the polluted environment, the presence of high concentrations of organic and inorganic pollutants in contaminated matrices generally reduces plant growth and development and eventually phytoremediation efficacy. Recently, there has been an increased effort to enhance the efficacy of phytoremediation of contaminated environments by exploiting plant–microbe interactions. The combined use of plants and endophytic bacteria is a promising approach for the clean-up of soil and water polluted with organic and inorganic compounds. In-plant–endophyte partnerships provide residency and nutrients to associated endophytic bacteria. In return, endophytic bacteria decrease both the phytotoxicity and evapotranspiration of the toxic pollutants due to their metabolic activities and may improve plant growth in contaminated environments. Moreover, endophytic bacteria possess plant growth–promoting activities that enhance the growth and adaptation of plants in a polluted environment. The importance of plant–endophyte synergism for the degradation and detoxification of organic and inorganic pollutants from contaminated matrices is discussed in this chapter.
