8 research outputs found

    Phytoremediation of contaminated soils and groundwater: lessons from the field

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    Background, aim, and scope: The use of plants and associated microorganisms to remove, contain, inactivate, or degrade harmful environmental contaminants (generally termed phytoremediation) and to revitalize contaminated sites is gaining more and more attention. In this review, prerequisites for a successful remediation will be discussed. The performance of phytoremediation as an environmental remediation technology indeed depends on several factors including the extent of soil contamination, the availability and accessibility of contaminants for rhizosphere microorganisms and uptake into roots (bioavailability), and the ability of the plant and its associated microorganisms to intercept, absorb, accumulate, and/or degrade the contaminants. The main aim is to provide an overview of existing field experience in Europe concerning the use of plants and their associated microorganisms whether or not combined with amendments for the revitalization or remediation of contaminated soils and undeep groundwater. Contaminations with trace elements (except radionuclides) and organics will be considered. Because remediation with transgenic organisms is largely untested in the field, this topic is not covered in this review. Brief attention will be paid to the economical aspects, use, and processing of the biomass. Conclusions and perspectives: It is clear that in spite of a growing public and commercial interest and the success of several pilot studies and field scale applications more fundamental research still is needed to better exploit the metabolic diversity of the plants themselves, but also to better understand the complex interactions between contaminants, soil, plant roots, and microorganisms (bacteria and mycorrhiza) in the rhizosphere. Further, more data are still needed to quantify the underlying economics, as a support for public acceptance and last but not least to convince policy makers and stakeholders (who are not very familiar with such techniques)

    Phytoremediation of soils contaminated with heavy metals: techniques and strategies

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    Environmental pollution by heavy metals and metalloids has become a severe problem worldwide, as soils became increasingly contaminated, posing a threat to ecosystems and ultimately to human health. The decision to remediate a soil depends on the present and future value of the soil, the cost of remediation, the risk posed by the soil, and the perception of that risk by the population and decision-makers. Traditional technologies to remediate soils usually rely on excavation of the contaminated soil, often disposed of as a hazardous waste with or without a previous treatment. The use of plants to remove or immobilize toxic elements has arisen as a very promising alternative to conventional technologies. The use of plants to remediate soils derived from the observation of wild species found in specific environments, evolved to the use of fast growing crops, and later on led to the development of genetically-modified plants. Phytotechnologies include a wide range of technologies that can be applied to remediate soils through stabilization, volatilization, accumulation and sequestration of toxic metals. In this chapter we describe the impacts of heavy metals in plants and the most important phytotechnologies available to remediate soil and substrates
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