Phytoremediation: A review

The concentrations of heavy metals increase in the environment from year to year. Therefore decontamination of heavy metal-contaminated soils is very important for maintenance of environmental health and ecological restoration. Phytoremediation harnesses natural processes to assist in the clean-up of pollutants in the environment. The mechanisms by which plants promote the removal of pollutants are varied, including uptake and concentration, transformation of pollutants, stabilization, and rhizosphere degradation, in which plants promote the growth of bacteria underground in the root zone that in turn break down pollutants. While the use of phytoremediation is increasing, relatively little attention has been paid to the ecological characteristics of the plants used. This research investigated the possibility of achieving soil clean-up using native plants that also provided aboveground benefits, including wildlife habitat. Phytoremediation is a relatively new technology that offers clear advantages over traditional methods for site cleanup. Some of its applications have only been assayed at the laboratory or greenhouse level, but others have been field tested sufficiently to allow full scale operation. Recently, phytoremediation as a cost effective and environmentally friendly technology has been developed by scientists and engineers in which biomass/microorganisms or live plants are used to remediate the polluted areas. It can be categorized into various applications, including phytofiltration, phytostabilization, phytoextraction, and phytodegradation.