Nanotechnology Novel Trends for Soil Revitalization
摘要
Soil contamination and its loss in productivity via degradation is a relevant and persistent problem in current timescale and has become a global challenge. The severity increases with climate crisis, loss of habitat, and increased consumption through anthropogenic activities, which further makes reclamation a major hurdle. Contaminated soils resulting mostly from human-induced activities make land less suitable for farming, which threatens global food security. As population continues to increase worldwide, more food production demands exploitation of a dwindling nonrenewable resource, that is, soil. More food production leads to mismanagement of fertile soils thereby, introducing xenobiotes on the likes of heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, pesticides, and contagious microorganisms. Such additions chemically alter soil properties and can pose serious health concern when it enters the food chain via bioaccumulation of such toxins in living tissue. Moreover, the expected food grain production is also lowered due to such degradation. Nanotechnology-mediated soil remediation can bring about sustainable rejuvenation of soil pollution. These technologies are simple in application, economic, and highly effective in small doses and scalable. These simple-to-manufacture nanoproducts, in addition to reclaim soil, also aid in plant–soil interactions positively by enhancing metabolism, production of protein-like substances, and increased nutrient use efficiency. This chapter addresses the exploration of nanotech-mediated soil remediation through both biological and nonbiological nanoproducts.