what_is_PR.html

What is Phytoremediation?
(collected from Salt et. al., 1998)
Phytoremediation can be simply defined "as the use of green plants to remove pollutants from
the enviroment or to render them harmless."

Phytoremediation can be divided into the following areas:

phytoextraction: the use of plants to accumulate heavy metals or organics into haverestable parts.
phytodegradation: the plant and associated microorganisms are used to degrade the pollutants in the soil
rhizofiltration: the use of plant roots to absorb pollutants from a polluted water source
phytostabilization: the use of plants to reduce the bioavailability f pollutants in the soil (mainly metals)
phytovolatilization: pollutant converted to volatile form in the plant and released into the air
phytostimulation: plant roots stimulate microbes to degrade pollutants in the rhizosphere
vegetative cap: polluted site revegetated to prevent erosion and leching

Remediation of Different Media: air soil sediments groundwater wastewater streams (industrial, agricultural, and municipal)	Remediation of Different Pollutants: metalloides (Se, As) "nutrients" (K, P, N, S) radionucleotides (Cs, U) metals (Pb, Cd, Zn, Cr, Hg) organics (PCB, PAH, TCE, TNT, Pesticides)
Mechanisms utilized in phytoremediaition: vegetative cap farming polluted soil irragation with polluted ground water constructed wetlands (natural water filters) using trees as a hydaulic barrier for groundwater pollution treating polluted water hydroponically (one of rhizofiltration)	Proerties of a good PR plant: economic value large, deep root system high biomass production high tolerance to pollutants high accumulation of pollutants able to compete with other species

**Advantages and Limitations of Phytoremediation**
Advantages: non-intrusive permanent solution acceptable to public solar energy source can be used in conjuction with other methods cheaper: can be 10-100x cheaper than convential methods	Limitations: limited root depth fossil fuel energy source slower remediating process availability of the pollutant to the plant can the plant tolerate pollutant and conditions environmental exposure to the pollutants via the accumulating plants

Currently all commercial Phytoremediation uses unmodified plants

Home. The mer operon and Hg Phytoremediation. Hg Risk assessment Phytochelatin Synthesis and Cd Remediation. Considerations for Transgenic Use. Other Potential Transgenics. Links and References.