Phytoremediation; Environmental Technology for Management of Toxic Pollutant Elements

Phytoremediation can be one of the most promising techniques for elimination of pollutants from water and soil and environmental management. Through absorption and desorption processes, we can determine the level of maintenance for cations and anions. Based on transition factor of elements it is possible to specify that elements like Barium and Lithium have the least and elements like Cadmium and Boron have the highest accumulation. Soil pH also affects the level of availability and mobility of elements by controlling solubility of soil organic matters and it is in direct relationship with oxidation and reduction conditions. Absorption of ions by plant roots can be both passive (in direction of diffusion gradient) and active (against diffusion gradient using energy) processes. Phytoremediation is accomplished in four states including 1) phytostabilization and deposition of pollutants in the root, 2) phytoextraction that can be divided into two categories: continuous that requires the use of plants throughout their lifetime and induced by addition of accelerants or chelators to the soil, 3) phytovolatilization and transfer of contaminants from the root to leaves and the atmosphere and 4) phytofiltration to remove contaminants from water. For instance, to remove Arsenic, Cadmium (Zinc), Chromium, Mercury, Nickel, Lead, and Selenium plants such as P. vittata, T. caerulescens, Betula sp. tree, Amanita muscaria, Alyssum lesbiacum, Arabidopsis sp., and B. juncea could be used respectively.