title: Plants as useful vectors to reduce environmental toxic arsenic content.
abstract: Arsenic (As) toxicity in soil and water is an increasing menace around the globe. Its concentration both in soil and environment is due to natural and anthropogenic activities. Rising arsenic concentrations in groundwater is alarming due to the health risks to plants, animals, and human beings. Anthropogenic As contamination of soil may result from mining, milling, and smelting of copper, lead, zinc sulfide ores, hide tanning waste, dyes, chemical weapons, electroplating, gas exhaust, application of municipal sludge on land, combustion of fossil fuels, As additives to livestock feed, coal fly ash, and use of arsenical pesticides in agricultural sector. Phytoremediation can be viewed as biological, solar-driven, pump-and-treat system with an extensive, self-extending uptake network (the root system) that enhances the natural ecosystems for subsequent productive use. The present review presents recent scientific developments regarding phytoremediation of arsenic contaminated environments and its possible detoxification mechanisms in plants.
authors: Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbottabad 22060, Pakistan.
authors: Nosheen
authors: N
authors: Mirza
authors: Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbottabad 22060, Pakistan.
authors: Qaisar
authors: Q
authors: Mahmood
authors: Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbottabad 22060, Pakistan.
authors: Mohammad
authors: M
authors: Maroof Shah
authors: Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbottabad 22060, Pakistan.
authors: Arshid
authors: A
authors: Pervez
authors: Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of the Punjab, Quaid-i-Azam Campus, Lahore 54590, Pakistan.
authors: Sikander
authors: S
authors: Sultan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D010944:Plants / Q000737:chemistry*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D001151:Arsenic