Modulation of Plant Growth and Metabolism in Cadmium-Enriched Environments

The term “heavy metal” refers to an element that usually has an atomic number greater than 20 and a density higher than 5.0 g cm−3. Anthropogenic activities are the main source of heavy metal release, and such releases may cause considerable damage to ecosystems (Tyler et al. 1989; Zhang et al. 2009; Olubunmi and Olorunsola 2010; Lin et al. 2011).