Heavy Metal Pollution and Bioremediation: Application and Mechanism

Dear Colleagues,

Industrialization and population growth have increased the release and accumulation of heavy metals in the environment, making heavy metal pollution an increasingly severe global environmental issue. Due to the non-degradable, concealed, and accumulative nature of heavy metals, long-term exposure can lead to diseases such as cancer. Therefore, there is an urgent need for effective technologies to remediate heavy metal pollution in the environment and reduce their mobility and biotoxicity. Currently, commonly used remediation technologies for heavy metal pollution include physical remediation, chemical remediation, and bioremediation. Among these, bioremediation has broad development prospects due to its advantages of being non-polluting, low-cost, and having a minimal environmental impact. However, the application of bioremediation technology is influenced by factors such as temperature, pH, types and concentrations of heavy metals, and biological growth characteristics, which restrict its wider application. After long-term exploration and research, significant progress has been made in bioremediation technology in terms of basic research, technological innovation, and practical applications for single pollutant remediation. However, in the face of complex heavy metal pollution, its complexity and uncertainty still require ongoing research and exploration.

To further leverage the advantages of bioremediation technology and promote its wider application, this Special Issue of Biology aims to provide fundamental research on the various mechanisms and application strategies adopted by the plants, microbes, and animals in the remediation of heavy metal pollution, which contribute to a deeper understanding of the complexities of heavy metal pollution and the role of bioremediation in mitigating its effects.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Heavy metal pollutants;
• Microbial remediation;
• Phytoremediation;
• Animal remediation;
• Plant–soil–microbe interactions;
• Enhanced remediation;
• Combined remediation;
• Hyperaccumulator plants;
• Microbial-induced calcium carbonate precipitation.

Dr. Guangxu Zhu
Prof. Dr. Ruiyu Lin
Dr. Rongfei Wei
Guest Editors

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