The use of industrial and food crops for the rehabilitation of areas contaminated with metal(loid)s: Physiological and molecular mechanisms of tolerance

Abstract Several anthropic activities can increase environmental concentrations of metal(loid)s, which can be uptaken by plants. However, nature has strategies to overcome these harsh conditions and some plants thrive, withstanding stress factors associated with metal(loid)s, slowly colonizing these contaminated areas. In face of environmental changes allied with population growth and food security, it is essential to find biotechnological solutions to rehabilitate and potentiate the use of such degraded areas. Phytotechnologies are successful in situ tools for the rehabilitation of contaminated areas, but to ensure the success, one of the main challenges is the selection of the right plant species; as high concentrations of metal(loid)s affect biological processes, productivity and ultimately can result in food safety issues. In this chapter an overview of the physiological and molecular mechanisms triggered by plants to tolerate stress factors associated with metal(loid)s is provided, together with an outline of potential industrial and food crops that have been studied to rehabilitate and bring economic value to these areas, without threatening food security, human health, and ecosystem balance.