Bioremediation of Arsenic: Prospects and Limitations in the Agriculture of Bangladesh
Arsenic contamination in the groundwater of Bangladesh has been termed as one of the largest mass poisoning in history. The problem of arsenic toxicity in crop plants that occurs through transfer of arsenic from contaminated soil to plant parts is of great concern because of its potential health haz...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Society of Economic Geologists and Mineral Technologists
2012-06-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Economic and Environment Geology |
| Online Access: | http://www.econ-environ-geol.org/pdf/june/Article-2.pdf |
| Summary: | Arsenic contamination in the groundwater of Bangladesh has been termed as one of the largest mass poisoning in history. The problem of arsenic toxicity in crop plants that occurs through transfer of arsenic from contaminated soil to plant parts is of great concern because of its potential health hazards. Among the various method, bioremediation of arsenic is the most desirable because of low coast, environmental safety and sustainability. This article focuses on the potential of using various methods for arsenic bioremediation and discusses the advantages and challenges of these methods with special emphasis on the problem of Bangladesh. Although remediation through phytoextraction of arsenic in soil seems promissing, disposing plants used as hyper-accumulator is a concern for the environment. Moreover, further improvement of phytoextraction is needed due to the severity of arsenic contamination in the agricultural soils of Bangladesh. Using soil microbes for bioremediatioin also needs further research in order to enhance our knowledge abut the efficient methods suitable for Bangladesh. Information gathered in this article is likely to enhance our knowledge about the arsenic bioremediation among the stakeholders including the policy makers in countries like Bangladesh where the problem of arsenic contamination in agricultural soil is severe. |
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| ISSN: | 2223-957X 2223-957X |