Chromium Stress in Plants: Toxicity, Tolerance and Phytoremediation

Extensive industrial activities resulted in an increase in chromium (Cr) contamination in the environment. The toxicity of Cr severely affects plant growth and development. Cr is also recognized as a human carcinogen that enters the human body via inhalation or by consuming Cr-contaminated food prod...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inSustainability Vol. 13; no. 9; p. 4629
Main Authors Srivastava, Dipali, Tiwari, Madhu, Dutta, Prasanna, Singh, Puja, Chawda, Khushboo, Kumari, Monica, Chakrabarty, Debasis
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.05.2021
Subjects
Bioremediation
Carcinogens
Cellular stress response
Chromium
Detoxification
Effluents
Enrichment
Environmental effects
Environmental protection
Food
Food contamination
Food production
Gene regulation
Genes
Groundwater
Industrial areas
Inhalation
Phytoremediation
Plant growth
Pollutants
Respiration
Seeds
Signal transduction
Soil contamination
Toxic substances
Toxicity
Transcription
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Extensive industrial activities resulted in an increase in chromium (Cr) contamination in the environment. The toxicity of Cr severely affects plant growth and development. Cr is also recognized as a human carcinogen that enters the human body via inhalation or by consuming Cr-contaminated food products. Taking consideration of Cr enrichment in the environment and its toxic effects, US Environmental Protection Agency and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry listed Cr as a priority pollutant. In nature, Cr exists in various valence states, including Cr(III) and Cr(VI). Cr(VI) is the most toxic and persistent form in soil. Plants uptake Cr through various transporters such as phosphate and sulfate transporters. Cr exerts its effect by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) and hampering various metabolic and physiological pathways. Studies on genetic and transcriptional regulation of plants have shown the various detoxification genes get up-regulated and confer tolerance in plants under Cr stress. In recent years, the ability of the plant to withstand Cr toxicity by accumulating Cr inside the plant has been recognized as one of the promising bioremediation methods for the Cr contaminated region. This review summarized the Cr occurrence and toxicity in plants, role of detoxification genes in Cr stress response, and various plants utilized for phytoremediation in Cr-contaminated regions.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su13094629