Phytoremediation of organic contaminants in soils

Bioresour Technol. 2001 Sep;79(3):273-6. doi: 10.1016/s0960-8524(01)00016-5.

Abstract

Soil pollution, a very important environmental problem, has been attracting considerable public attention over the last decades. Unfortunately, the enormous costs associated with the removal of pollutants from soils by means of traditional physicochemical methods have been encouraging companies to ignore the problem. Phytoremediation is an emerging technology that uses plants to clean up pollutants in the environment. As overwhelmingly positive results have become available regarding the ability of plants to degrade certain organic compounds, more and more people are getting involved in the phytoremediation of organic contaminants. Phytoremediation of organics appears a very promising technology for the removal of these contaminants from polluted sites.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Biodegradation, Environmental
  • Conservation of Natural Resources
  • Organic Chemicals / metabolism
  • Plants*
  • Soil Pollutants / metabolism*

Substances

  • Organic Chemicals
  • Soil Pollutants