Restoration of Heavy Metal-Contaminated Environs Through Ectomycorrhizal Symbiosis

Heavy metal pollution has deleterious impacts on environment and public health, owing to their toxicity and persistence, which is a huge apprehension for ecologists and environmentalists globally. Restoration of heavy metal contaminated environs can be achieved through reinstallation of efficient microbial community via soil health improvement and successful revegetation. Hitherto, inoculation of plants with apposite ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi, either alone or in consortia, is the most eco-friendly approach for reclamation of polluted environs. ECM fungi possess adaptive tolerance to heavy metals and have been found to grow in heavy metal-contaminated soils. These fungi augment the survival rate and early growth performance of associated host plants, which consecutively facilitate restoration of contaminated sites through acceleration of phyto/mycoremediation processes. Both host plant and associated ECM fungi possess different strategies of heavy metal remediation, which either act independently or operate together in symbiosis. This chapter presents an overview of heavy metals, their influence on living systems, heavy metal remediation through ectomycorrhizal symbiosis, mechanism involved in remediation of heavy metals through ectomycorrhizal symbiosis, and future research directions.