Phytoremediation of Soil for Metal
and Organic Pollutant Removal
Sedevino Sophia and Vidya Shetty Kodialbail
Contents
1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
1.1 Environmental Toxins and Contaminants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
1.2 Contaminants in the Soil and Its Risks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
1.3 Soil Remediation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
1.4 The Emergence of Phytoremediation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
1.5 Mechanisms of Phytoremediation . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 49
2 Factors Affecting the Uptake Mechanisms . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 56
3 Genetic Engineering in the Plant Species . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
4 Drawback and Limitations of Phytoremediation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
5 Conclusion and Future Prospects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Abstract In the recent decades, industrialization and urbanization have increased
the concentration of heavy metals, hydrocarbons, and other contaminants in soil.
Among the various strategies to tackle the environmental issues, phytoremediation
may be applied to combat pollution or recover the contaminated site or limit the
degradation of such entities. It is relatively cost-efficient and environmental-friendly
and also provides easy public acceptance. Mechanisms for degradation and removal
of contaminants, i.e., rhizofiltration, phytoextraction, phytovolatilization,
phytostimulation, phytostabilization, and phytotransformation, are available. However, the condition of the soil, microbes residing in the rhizosphere, and the plants to
be employed are the important factors to be considered and assessed before
implementing the techniques. A wide understanding and appreciation are required
to interpret the interactions between the microorganisms, plants, and contaminants
involved. Genetic manipulation can also be implemented for better removal and
contaminant uptake.
S. Sophia and V. Shetty Kodialbail (*)
Department of Chemical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Karnataka Surathkal,
Mangalore, India
e-mail: vidyaks95@nitk.edu.in; vidyaks68@yahoo.com
Manuel Jerold, Santhiagu Arockiasamy, and Velmurugan Sivasubramanian (eds.),
Bioprocess Engineering for Bioremediation: Valorization and Management
Techniques, Hdb Env Chem (2020) 104: 45–66, DOI 10.1007/698_2020_576,
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020, Published online: 14 July 2020
45
and Organic Pollutant Removal
Sedevino Sophia and Vidya Shetty Kodialbail
Contents
1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
1.1 Environmental Toxins and Contaminants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
1.2 Contaminants in the Soil and Its Risks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
1.3 Soil Remediation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
1.4 The Emergence of Phytoremediation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
1.5 Mechanisms of Phytoremediation . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 49
2 Factors Affecting the Uptake Mechanisms . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 56
3 Genetic Engineering in the Plant Species . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
4 Drawback and Limitations of Phytoremediation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
5 Conclusion and Future Prospects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Abstract In the recent decades, industrialization and urbanization have increased
the concentration of heavy metals, hydrocarbons, and other contaminants in soil.
Among the various strategies to tackle the environmental issues, phytoremediation
may be applied to combat pollution or recover the contaminated site or limit the
degradation of such entities. It is relatively cost-efficient and environmental-friendly
and also provides easy public acceptance. Mechanisms for degradation and removal
of contaminants, i.e., rhizofiltration, phytoextraction, phytovolatilization,
phytostimulation, phytostabilization, and phytotransformation, are available. However, the condition of the soil, microbes residing in the rhizosphere, and the plants to
be employed are the important factors to be considered and assessed before
implementing the techniques. A wide understanding and appreciation are required
to interpret the interactions between the microorganisms, plants, and contaminants
involved. Genetic manipulation can also be implemented for better removal and
contaminant uptake.
S. Sophia and V. Shetty Kodialbail (*)
Department of Chemical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Karnataka Surathkal,
Mangalore, India
e-mail: vidyaks95@nitk.edu.in; vidyaks68@yahoo.com
Manuel Jerold, Santhiagu Arockiasamy, and Velmurugan Sivasubramanian (eds.),
Bioprocess Engineering for Bioremediation: Valorization and Management
Techniques, Hdb Env Chem (2020) 104: 45–66, DOI 10.1007/698_2020_576,
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020, Published online: 14 July 2020
45