Mechanism of Microbial Detoxification of Heavy Metals: A Review

Heavy metal contamination from anthropogenic activities has an adverse effect on the environment due to its cytotoxicity, carcinogenicity and mutagenicity. Environment harbours microorganisms, some of which have been found modify physico-chemical conditions their surrounding through certain processes such as detoxification, homeostasis, precipitation, redox transformations etc. Investigations in past shown that short term contact with metals bacteria causes selection resistant within weeks, while a prolonged exposure showed selected strains able thrive better. Hence biotic methods could assist removal heavy based biosorption or bioaccumulation by are cost-effective environmental friendly long run. Microbial remediation is influenced factors also site characteristics. The aim this paper highlight review mechanisms microbial techniques biostimulation, bioaugmentation