CADMIUM-BINDING BY MICROBIAL AND PLANT-CE LLS

Heavy metal pollution has become a serious environmental problem. One of the most harmful metal contaminants is cadmium. Many principles hav e been described to immobilize cadmium in order to prevent its further spread in the environment and in order to eliminate it from the water ecosystems. The mechanisms of biosorption and bioaccumulation of cadm ium by microbial and plant cells are discussed in this review. Attenti on is also paid to metal binding proteins and to the active transport of cadmium.