Heavy Metals in Soils and the Remediation Potential of Bacteria Associated With the Plant Microbiome

High concentrations of non-essential heavy metals/metalloids (arsenic, cadmium, and lead) in soils irrigation water represent a threat to the environment, food safety, human animal health. Microbial bioremediation has emerged as promising strategy reduce concentration metals environment due demonstrated ability microorganisms, especially bacteria, sequester transform these compounds. Although several bacterial strains have been reported be capable remediation affected by metals, published information not comprehensively analyzed date recommend most efficient microbial resources for application or bacterial-assisted phytoremediation strategies that may help improve plant growth yield contaminated soils. In this study, we critically eighty-five research articles over past 15 years, focusing on bacteria-assisted arsenic, lead, selected based four criteria: i) The species studied are part microbiome, i.e., they interact closely with ii) same exhibit growth-promoting characteristics, iii) resistance metal(s) is expressed terms Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), iv) metal related biochemical molecular mechanisms. A total sixty-two genera, comprising 424 species/strains associated fifty were included our analysis. Our results showed close relationship between tolerance level exhibited bacteria identity, lower MIC values found cadmium while arsenic was widespread significantly higher. In-depth analysis commonly evaluated Agrobacterium, Bacillus, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, Microbacterium, Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus, Mesorhizobium different levels among them highlighted deployment mechanisms promotion presence genes located cad ars operons. particular, genera Klebsiella Enterobacter highest lead tolerance, clearly supported mechanisms; also able mitigate inhibition under phytotoxic concentrations. These position best potential candidates lead.