Source and Distribution of Lead in Soil and Plant—A Review

The contamination of the environment with heavy metals particularly lead (Pb) is highly contagious and an alarming situation in metropolitan regions with high anthropogenic pressure like vehicular and industrial active areas. Its tracer amount in the environment, soil, water, and biological systems can pose major issues for all living things, and its bioaccumulation in the food chain is particularly risky for the well-being of people and animals. It has been widely observed that human populations are exposed to lead contamination and are accumulating it as a result of a contaminated environment entering into the food chain. Though it is not an essential mineral element its plants can nevertheless absorb it from the contaminated area since it remains soluble in soil. Soil properties can have a significant impact on the behaviour and mobility of lead in the soil and the presence of lead in the soil can have several negative impacts on the soil–plant system. It is important to work with experts, such as soil scientists and environmental engineers, to determine the most effective strategy for tackling lead toxicity in the soil. In this chapter, our main focus is on the sources and mechanism of Pb in soil and plants because every environmental component contains a sizable proportion of lead, thus its management and remediation should be urgently required for better environmental health.