Strategies for Management of Metal Contaminated Soil

Heavy metals are inadvertently released during manufacture of various industrial products. They are serious pollutants due to their toxicity, persistence and bioaccumulation problems. Microorganisms have the potential to alter the reactivity and mobility of metals and thus facilitating the use of bioremediation as a form of treatment for metal contaminated soils. Utilizing microbes for bioremediation possesses various merits such as their natural occurrence, cheap production, easy availability and high selectivity in terms of removal and recovery of specific metals. This paper summarizes the general processes of bioremediation within the soil environment. The effect of environmental factors which governs the rate of biodegradation is addressed together with limitations and potential of ex situ and in situ bioremediation.