An overview on emerging and innovative technologies for regulating arsenic toxicity in plants

Abstract

Arsenic (As) is counted among the major metalloid elements that can cause cancer in human beings along with other harmful consequences. It occurs in several chemical forms such as arsenate [As (V)], arsenite [As (III)], and methylated As (monomethyl As acid [MMA], and dimethyl As acid [DMA]). There are natural as well as anthropogenic sources of As that affect each environmental component including the plant system. Among all forms, As (V) holds for the most dominant phytoavailable form of As present, particularly in aerobic soils. In plants, its uptake is known to occur by the high-affinity phosphate uptake system owing to its analogous nature to that of phosphate. The accumulation of As leads to several adverse effects on plant physiological processes that consequently reduce the yield of plants. Therefore, there is utmost need for affordable and efficient technologies to control the negative impacts of As contamination. These technologies can manage to reduce its availability and toxicity in plants, which further reduce the risk to human health. The present chapter includes the uptake process of As by the plants and its toxic response. It is mainly focused on the different remediation approaches for the reduction of As toxicity in the plants. Through the administration of signaling molecules, phytohormones along with some new technologies like the use of nanoparticles (NPs) and genetic manipulation, the level of toxicity can be reduced in the As-contaminated plants. Among all the techniques, the most efficient and sustainable techniques should be promoted with further research progress. © 2023 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.