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Extended Abstracts, Fourth International Conference on the Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements

Heavy Metal Toxicity in Plants: Recent Insights on Physiological and Molecular Aspects

Impact of Soil Contaminants on Plant Physiology and Crop Productivity

Environmental stresses are now more severe due to climatic changes. Globally, numerous abiotic stresses affect soil and plants, hindering plant quality and productivity. To enhance plant yield and quality, it is crucial to understand how changes in the soil's physical and chemical properties impact plant production. Plants have evolved mechanisms to cope with environmental stresses within specific limits. Analyzing soil properties, observing plant responses, and considering various physicochemical factors are essential for understanding these stress tolerance mechanisms. Heavy metals, microplastic pollution, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and other organic and inorganic contaminants have caused significant alterations in agricultural soil. Soil is a non-renewable natural resource that must be managed carefully to achieve sustainable agricultural production. However, agricultural activities contribute to increasing soil contamination levels, which are often harmful to soil health. Contamination from these stressors has resulted in adverse changes in soil profiles, metabolomics profiling of crops, and can also affect the physiological activities of crops. The soil environment has deteriorated due to the cumulative inhibitory impacts of these factors, damaging agricultural productivity and ecosystem health.