Implementing Phytoremediation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons

Abstract

An evaluation of the current “state of the art” for the phytoremediation of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) is given, which will allow for well-informed decisions to be made when the technology is being applied to this contamination problem. Information is provided on phytotoxicity, plant selection, and management as well as useful supplementary practical data sources. A management decision tree is presented to aid in the successful application of phytoremediation to TPH-contaminated sites. Finally, deficiencies in the current knowledge are identified, which need to be addressed to improve the effectiveness of phytoremediation to this problem.