Contaminant Fate, Dynamics and Bioavailability: Biochemical and Molecular Mechanism at the Soil: Root interface

Environmental contamination from improper disposal of hazardous industrial and municipal wastes has long been recognised as an issue of public concern, regulatory activity, and scientific investigation. Such disposals have resulted in the occurrence of in excess of 80,000 potentially contaminated sites in Australia (Natusch, 1997) and over 3 million such sites in the Asia region. In the United States (US), there are estimated to be about 400,000 waste disposal sites where soil and groundwater contamination is deemed to be of sufficient extent and magnitude that some type of remedial action is warranted to protect public health or to minimize adverse environmental and ecological impacts (Rao et al., 1996; USEPA, 2004, http://www.epa.gov/superfund/news/30years.htm). Remediation of contaminated sites to the extent practicable is expected to cost approximately $5 to 8 billion in Australia (Powell, 1992;