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  • Review Article
  • Published:

Bioremediation of heavy metal(loid)s in agricultural soils and crops

Nature Reviews Bioengineering volume 3, pages 1005–1018 (2025)Cite this article

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Abstract

Heavy metal(loid) contamination in crops threatens the quality and safety of food and fodder. This contamination affects human health, as non-biodegradable heavy metal(loid)s can build up in the body through the food chain and bioaccumulation processes. Although heavy metal(loid)s exist naturally, their displacement and extensive use in chemicals and consumer products heighten the risk of accumulation in agricultural soils and crops. Managing or removing these hazardous materials from agricultural soils is challenging, owing to the large spatial distribution of contaminants, as well as limited technical and management options. However, concerns regarding agricultural soil quality and food safety have led to interest in environmentally friendly methods, such as the bioremediation of agricultural soils contaminated with heavy metal(loid)s. Given the low-to-moderate levels and diffused nature of heavy metal(loid) pollution in agricultural soils, one strategy is to cultivate crops that can tolerate these heavy metal(loid)s. Additionally, scalable bioremediation strategies include the bioengineering of crop varieties that are heavy metal(loid) resistant, and ecosystem-level bioengineering approaches for soil remediation. In this Review, we discuss trans-disciplinary approaches that integrate traditional bioremediation with crop bioengineering, microbiome engineering and nanotechnology to develop effective solutions for heavy metal(loid)-contaminated agricultural soils.

Key points

  • Heavy metal(loid) contamination in agricultural soils is estimated to be 14–17% but could be widespread.

  • Selection of remediation techniques should prioritize soil-grown food and fodder quality and safety.

  • Remediation is challenging, owing to broadacre pollution and crop involvement.

  • Bioremediation, including plant-based technology and in situ microbiome engineering, is deemed to be feasible.

  • A system-based approach, combining multiple strategies, is essential to overcoming the challenges posed by mixed pollutants, high economic costs and consumer acceptance of agricultural produce.

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Fig. 1: A fraction of widespread distribution of priority heavy metal(loid) s.
Fig. 2: Pictorial representation of phytoremediation.
Fig. 3: Engineering heavy metal(loid) tolerance.
Fig. 4: Penetration and translocation of nanomaterials into the plant system.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by crcCARE’s partner organizations. B.B. thanks the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for financing his fellowship. R.N. and B.B. thank Australian Research Council (ARC) for the sustainable fertilizer project (DP230102963) and B.K.S. thanks ARC for microbial science project (DP230101448).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Global Centre for Environmental Remediation, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia

    Ravi Naidu, Bhabananda Biswas & Md Nuruzzaman

  2. crcCARE Pty Ltd, ATC Building, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia

    Ravi Naidu, Bhabananda Biswas & Md Nuruzzaman

  3. Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia

    Brajesh Kumar Singh

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B.B. and M.N. surveyed the literature. All authors contributed to writing and reviewing the manuscript. R.N. supervised this work.

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Australian genetically modified organism register: https://www.ogtr.gov.au/what-weve-approved

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Naidu, R., Biswas, B., Nuruzzaman, M. et al. Bioremediation of heavy metal(loid)s in agricultural soils and crops. Nat Rev Bioeng 3, 1005–1018 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44222-025-00345-y

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