As a result of the damaging effects of long-term environmental pollution, emerging contaminants pose a major threat to all kinds of life in the environment. Microorganisms are a vital source of biodiversity, whose diversity and interaction with macroorganisms is impacted by numerous environmental factors, including rising CO2 levels in the atmosphere, global warming, and pollution. Plant-microbe interactions in the phyllosphere have been found to promote plant development whilst also increasing host resilience to abiotic or biotic stress. Rhizospheric microbial communities are responsible for the biodegradation of toxic elements and chemicals, and have the potential to increase heavy metal uptake by plants via phytoremediation strategies. A number of studies revealed that overexpression of extracellular enzymes secreted by plants, fungi, or rhizospheric microbes can improve the degradation of specific toxins in the soil. Plants and microbes coexist in a symbiotic relationship, with microbes benefiting from nutrient acquisition from root exudates and plants benefiting from nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, auxin production, siderophore production, and inhibition or suppression of plant pathogens. Therefore, the plant-microbe interaction establishes the foundation of the soil nutrient cycle and reduces soil toxicity by removing harmful pollutants.
A large portion of waste from multiple different sources including as E-waste, plastic waste, municipal solid waste, construction, and demolition waste, and industrial waste, is highly contaminated with various toxic elements. The leaching properties of certain toxins can also result in groundwater pollution, affecting human and environmental health. The use of phytoremediation approaches with microbes provides an ecologically sound, efficient, environment-friendly, and cost-effective strategy for the management of environmental pollution. Phytoremediation management technologies play an important role in reducing metal accumulation and pollution. Utilizing microbial communities in agricultural production is also an efficient way to modulate crop yield and productivity whilst maintaining plant health and quality via bioformulations. To be able to utilize the plant microbial community, we require better understanding of the processes occurring in the rhizosphere, as well as further exploration of diversity in the plant microbial community. This Research Topic seeks to bring together high-quality original research and reviews that highlight the critical role of microbes and plant-microbe interactions in the rhizosphere in removal of toxic elements and chemicals from soil.
Submissions on the following topics are welcome, but not limited to:
1. Identification of the primary sources of pollution and their microbial remediation.
2. The application of microbial consortia for enhancing phytoremediation efficiency.
3. Bioaugmentation processes that improve the remediation of toxic elements.
4. Indigenous microbe’s potential and their efficiency against toxic elements.
5. Isolation of rhizosphere microbes for the development of constructed wetland for industrial
wastewater reuse.
6. Role of biofilm-forming microbes in the phytoextraction process.
7. Phytoremediation of toxic elements for the sustainable environment.
8. Detection and characterization of quorum sensing and quorum quenching molecules during
bioremediation.
As a result of the damaging effects of long-term environmental pollution, emerging contaminants pose a major threat to all kinds of life in the environment. Microorganisms are a vital source of biodiversity, whose diversity and interaction with macroorganisms is impacted by numerous environmental factors, including rising CO2 levels in the atmosphere, global warming, and pollution. Plant-microbe interactions in the phyllosphere have been found to promote plant development whilst also increasing host resilience to abiotic or biotic stress. Rhizospheric microbial communities are responsible for the biodegradation of toxic elements and chemicals, and have the potential to increase heavy metal uptake by plants via phytoremediation strategies. A number of studies revealed that overexpression of extracellular enzymes secreted by plants, fungi, or rhizospheric microbes can improve the degradation of specific toxins in the soil. Plants and microbes coexist in a symbiotic relationship, with microbes benefiting from nutrient acquisition from root exudates and plants benefiting from nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, auxin production, siderophore production, and inhibition or suppression of plant pathogens. Therefore, the plant-microbe interaction establishes the foundation of the soil nutrient cycle and reduces soil toxicity by removing harmful pollutants.
A large portion of waste from multiple different sources including as E-waste, plastic waste, municipal solid waste, construction, and demolition waste, and industrial waste, is highly contaminated with various toxic elements. The leaching properties of certain toxins can also result in groundwater pollution, affecting human and environmental health. The use of phytoremediation approaches with microbes provides an ecologically sound, efficient, environment-friendly, and cost-effective strategy for the management of environmental pollution. Phytoremediation management technologies play an important role in reducing metal accumulation and pollution. Utilizing microbial communities in agricultural production is also an efficient way to modulate crop yield and productivity whilst maintaining plant health and quality via bioformulations. To be able to utilize the plant microbial community, we require better understanding of the processes occurring in the rhizosphere, as well as further exploration of diversity in the plant microbial community. This Research Topic seeks to bring together high-quality original research and reviews that highlight the critical role of microbes and plant-microbe interactions in the rhizosphere in removal of toxic elements and chemicals from soil.
Submissions on the following topics are welcome, but not limited to:
1. Identification of the primary sources of pollution and their microbial remediation.
2. The application of microbial consortia for enhancing phytoremediation efficiency.
3. Bioaugmentation processes that improve the remediation of toxic elements.
4. Indigenous microbe’s potential and their efficiency against toxic elements.
5. Isolation of rhizosphere microbes for the development of constructed wetland for industrial
wastewater reuse.
6. Role of biofilm-forming microbes in the phytoextraction process.
7. Phytoremediation of toxic elements for the sustainable environment.
8. Detection and characterization of quorum sensing and quorum quenching molecules during
bioremediation.
