Plant Physiology of Heavy Metal Contamination and Abiotic Stress
This research community investigates how crops like rice, wheat, and maize absorb, tolerate, and metabolize toxic elements such as cadmium and arsenic, while simultaneously managing oxidative stress from drought and salinity to maintain yield and food safety.
The work centers on the physiological and molecular mechanisms of heavy metal accumulation in agricultural soils, with a specific focus on cadmium and arsenic. Recurring themes include the role of reactive oxygen species and antioxidant defense systems in mitigating oxidative damage, as well as the use of nanoparticles and biochar for soil remediation. The community also examines the impact of these contaminants on human health risk and the efficacy of stress-tolerance strategies in major food crops.
The largest share of the community's output is found in arsenic research, accounting for 18.2% of all tracked work for that element, followed by cadmium at 16.3%. Arsenic also contributes the highest raw paper count within this group, with 13,162 papers, while cadmium follows with 14,290 papers.
The community comprises 107,893 papers, publishing most frequently in Frontiers in Plant Science, Journal of Hazardous Materials, and Chemosphere.
Recent work continues to focus on the mechanisms of heavy metal toxicity in plants, the use of nanoparticles for soil remediation, and the role of reactive oxygen species in plant defense against environmental stress.