Chaurasia, PK; Bharati, SL; Mani, A
In the present time of excessive industrialization, huge pollutants are being released in our environment. These pollutants may be toxic metals/metal complexes, extremely harmful organic compounds, carcinogenic xenobiotics, petroleum wastes, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, fertilizers, agrochemicals, dyes, synthetic by-products, organic solvents, etc. They are highly dangerous in exposed form for our environment, animals, useful insects as well as human beings. Different organic chemicals, excessive use of fertilizers, agrochemicals, pesticides/insecticides, petroleum and petro-products, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, polluted sewage of industries, toxic metals, and many other xenobiotics pollute the soils. The pollution of soil of agricultural fields has given rise to many adverse effects. Fertility of soils and useful insects of soils are being reduced and destroyed due to such pollutants, which will further reduce the agricultural land. Furthermore, agricultural products obtained from contaminated soil contain various pollutants that may be extremely dangerous for human life because there accumulation in human bodies may create different abnormalities, skin diseases, abdominal diseases, etc. Thus, efforts for the green removal or detoxification of such pollutants are greatly required for the present scenario of excessive use of chemicals. Role of fungi have attained a distinguished status in the remediation of contaminated soils. In this regard, this chapter deals with comprehensive discussions and future aspects on the fate of the utilization of fungi in the remediation of contaminated soils. © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
