Phytoremediation: General account and its application

Abstract

Developmental activities have resulted in contamination of the environment and thus disturbed the ecosystem. One of the main agenda for scientific community has been remediation of contaminated sites which has been expensive and intrusive to the ecosystem. Phytoremediation is a set of different processes/techniques which uses plants for containment, destruction, or extraction of contaminants. Various processes involved in phytoremediation are phytodegradation, phytoextraction, rhizofiltration, phytostabilization, phytovolatilization, and hydraulic control. This chapter highlights various processes involved in phytoremediation along with the essential components of phytoremediation. Emphasis is also given on recent advancements in phytoremediation in which microbe- assisted phytoremediation and use of transgenic plants have been discussed. This technology has been receiving attention because of its cost-effectiveness and environment- friendly approach. Therefore, phytoremediation may open a new avenue for a broader and more efficient and sustainable solution for the remediation of contaminated sites.