Literature review of the interaction of heavy metals with soil microorganisms

Abstract

Human activities (industry, agriculture, mining, landfills) are linked to heavy metal pollution in soil. This pollution adversely affects all living organisms, including soil microorganisms. At low concentrations, soil microorganisms can remove heavy metals. Aim of the work: to analyse the interaction of heavy metals with soil microorganisms based on the scientific articles presented. The contamination of soil with various heavy metals has been investigated, but cadmium, copper and lead have been the most analysed. The scientific papers mainly focus on phytoremediation studies to investigate the relationship between heavy metals and soil microorganisms using plants. Studies are also carried out using soil contaminated by anthropogenic activities. The literature describes studies on soil contaminated with heavy metals which reveal the potential of microorganisms and their changes over time.