title: Plant-bacteria partnerships for the remediation of persistent organic pollutants.
abstract: High toxicity, bioaccumulation factor and widespread dispersal of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) cause environmental and human health hazards. The combined use of plants and bacteria is a promising approach for the remediation of soil and water contaminated with POPs. Plants provide residency and nutrients to their associated rhizosphere and endophytic bacteria. In return, the bacteria support plant growth by the degradation and detoxification of POPs. Moreover, they improve plant growth and health due to their innate plant growth-promoting mechanisms. This review provides a critical view of factors that affect absorption and translocation of POPs in plants and the limitations that plant have to deal with during the remediation of POPs. Moreover, the synergistic effects of plant-bacteria interactions in the phytoremediation of organic pollutants with special reference to POPs are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Earth Sciences Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, 31261, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arslan
authors.affiliation: Environmental Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Faisalabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Asma
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Imran
authors.affiliation: Environmental Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Faisalabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Qaiser Mahmood
authors.initials: QM
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Environmental Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Faisalabad, Pakistan. manibge@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Afzal
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology*; D012987:Soil; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants
keywords: Bacterial assisted phytoremediation; Endophytic bacteria; Persistent organic pollutants; Phytoremediation; Plant–bacteria partnerships; Rhizosphere bacteria