An Overview on the Current State of Heavy Metal Pollution and Recent Remediation Approaches

Heavy metal pollution has become a significant concern in recent decades due to its persistent nature, carcinogenic properties, toxicity, and bioaccumulation. Heavy metals have been detected in numerous kinds of fruits, vegetables, milk products, and natural oils in recent years, indicating the severe contamination of our food chain systems. Nevertheless, due to the acute and chronic nature of heavy metals’ effects, this excessive concentration can negatively impact on human health and on ecosystems. Various remediation technologies and/or approaches have already been invented in the global industrial and scientific arena to reduce heavy metal pollution. Most conventional treatment systems have some limitations due to their high mechanism cost and the generation of toxic sludge. Thus, the present world is more focused on eco-friendly treatment systems. As a result, bacteria, fungi, diatoms, and various plants are used to remove heavy metals from the environmental matrices. Therefore, this chapter aims to discuss the sources, fates, transport, and recent heavy metal pollution remediation techniques. This chapter also summarizes the present state of heavy metal pollution in terms of global scale and regulatory frameworks.