Heavy Metal Processing in Cyanobacteria, Fungi and Plants

Heavy metals are a by-product of many industrial and agricultural processes. Indiscriminate disposal of such wastes can have serious environmental impacts, which, in turn, has serious implications for human health and sustainable water use. It is vital to reduce the heavy metal burden of wastes before discharge into the environment. Plants, fungi and cyanobacteria re candidates for phytoremediation of contaminated soils and waste waters, as different species show varying levels of tolerance to heavy metals and a capacity to accumulate different types of heavy metals. Little is known about the heavy metal uptake processes by cells and the cellular membrane transporters that are involved. To utilise cyanobacteria, fungi and plants for bioremediation the mechanisms of heavy metal uptake and translocation are being investigated.