Phytoremediation

Decontamination technique using living plants Some heavy metals such as copper and zinc are removed from the soil by moving up into the plant roots. Phytoremediation technologies use living plants to clean up soil, air and water contaminated with pollutants. The term is an amalgam of the Greek phyto (plant) and Latin remedium (restoring balance). It is a type of bioremediation. Phytoremediation is proposed as a sustainable alternative to conventional remediation methods, although it has never been used at large scales.[citation needed] Other forms of bioremediation, such as those employing microorganisms, have so far been more successful. Processes Mechanisms involved in hydrocarbon phytoremediation Major phytoremediation mechanisms include phytoextraction, phytostabilization, phytovolatilization, and phytofiltration. Phytoextraction Phytoextraction (or phytoaccumulation or phytosequestration) aims to exploit the ability of some plants to absorb certain contaminants from soil or water. In principle, the roots take up substances from the soil or water and concentrate them above ground in the plant biomass. Organisms that can uptake high amounts of particular metal-containing compoun