Heavy Metal Intrusion and Accumulation in Aquatic Ecosystems

Most of the heavy metals have deleterious impacts on the growth and productivity of the plants, and also alters the general physiological characteristics of plants. But, some plants cope with the pollution stress and accumulate more and more toxic and heavy metals in their modified tissues. These toxic substances not only affect the plant physiology, but have toxic impacts on soil health. The toxic metals, in context to many organic compounds are not decomposed by the microbiological activity. Toxic levels of Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd) and Mercury (Hg) affects plant processes at physiological and biochemical levels some of the heavy metals are accumulated in aquatic environment and most of them get absorbed in the aquatic plants. Theretofore, a miscellaneous positive correlation among selected aquatic plants and specific heavy metals was reported, however mechanism of a particular model species is still vague. The intrusion of heavy metals may also change the nutrient pool of the aquatic ecosystem that may affect the overall productivity of the system. The work will review some of the important heavy metals, the plants that are useful to reduce the concentration of these metals from different ecosystems.