As you know our environment is facing many problems which is affecting human beings. It is our role to search for new and least harmful solutions in order to decrease these harmful effects. One new technology to do that is phytoremediation, which is a natural and new technique to decrease the contaminants in water and soil. It is also the direct use of living green plants for in situ, or in place, removal, degradation, or containment of contaminants in soils, sludges, sediments, surface water and groundwater.
There are many types of phytoremediation:
1. Phytostabilization:
It involves absorption of contaminants by roots such that they are immobilized and then harvested.
2. Rhizodegradation
This takes place in the soil or ground water immediately surrounding the plant roots. Exudates from plants stimulate rhizosphere bacteria to enhance biodegradation of soil contaminants.
3. Phytohydraulics
Use of deep-rooted plants (usually trees) to contain, sequester or degrade ground water contaminants that come into contact with their roots.
4. Phytoextraction
Plants take up or hyperaccumulate contaminants through their roots and store them in the tissues of the stem or leaves. The contaminants are not necessarily degraded but are removed from the environment when the plants are harvested.
5. Phytovolatilization
Plants take up volatile compounds through their roots, and transpire the same compounds, or their metabolites, through the leaves, thereby releasing them into the atmosphere.
6. Phytodegradation
Contaminants are taken up into the plant tissues where they are metabolized, or biotransformed into less harmful forms.
That's why, it is good to follow such techniques in orden to lessen the harmful effects of contaminants.
That's why, it is good to follow such techniques in orden to lessen the harmful effects of contaminants.
