Nickel Contamination in Terrestrial Ecosystems: Insights into Impacts, Phytotoxicity Mechanisms, and Remediation Technologies

Abstract

Nickel (Ni), an essential heavy metal, is transformed from an element with vital functions to a hazardous contaminant within agricultural environments, owing to its extensive utilization across diverse applications, spanning from everyday household items to various industrial processes. Understanding Ni’s bioavailability in soil, associated risks, phytodetoxification processes, and current remediation techniques is crucial for sustainable ecosystem management. Although Ni occurs naturally in very small concentrations in soil, water, and air, its absorption by plants from soil to roots is vital for both activating enzymes and supporting plant growth. Ni plays pivotal roles in numerous physiological functions, including photosynthesis, nitrogen metabolism, and growth regulation. However, excessive Ni can induce toxic effects in plants through the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that interferes with their biochemical, physiological, and morphological processes. Eventually, there are only a number of feasible strategies for the mitigation of Ni-polluted soils. The present review critically examines the origins and dynamics of Ni in soil–plant systems and its detrimental effects on plants at morphological, biochemical, physiological, and molecular levels. The review also explores the detoxification mechanisms in higher plants and current remediation technologies for decision-making and sustainable management of Ni contamination in the environment. The review concludes that there is a need of friendly effective and environmentally sustainable technologies for the mitigation of Ni toxicity in terrestrial ecosystems and environmental sustainability. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.