Effect of Heavy Metals on Plants: An Overview

ABSTRACT Wastes are the major source of soil pollution originates from mining, chemical, metal processing industries, and other allied industries. These wastes include varieties of chemicals like heavy metals, phenolic, organic, non-metals, etc. Heavy metals are the intrinsic component of the environment with essential and non essential both types. Soils polluted with heavy metals have become common due to increase in geologic and anthropogenic activities. It is the unplanned disposal of municipal waste, mining, use of extensive pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, and other agrochemicals uses were significant causes of environment pollution and causes of most concern. Heavy metals, such as cadmium, copper, lead, chromium, manganese, iron and mercury is major environmental pollutants, particularly in areas with high anthropogenic pressure. Heavy metal accumulation in soils is of concern in agricultural production due to the adverse effects on food safety, marketability and crop growth due to phytotoxicity, and environmental health of soil organisms. The influence of these heavy metals on plants and their metabolic activities caused by the geological and biological redistribution of heavy metals through pollution of the air, water and soil were briefly discussed in this article.