Phytoremediation of Heavy Metal-Contaminated Sites: Eco-environmental Concerns, Field Studies, Sustainability Issues, and Future Prospects
Abstract
Environmental contamination due to heavy metals (HMs) is of serious ecotoxicological concern worldwide because of their increasing use at industries. Due to non-biodegradable and persistent nature, HMs cause serious soil/water pollution and severe health hazards in living beings upon exposure. HMs can be genotoxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic in nature even at low concentration. They may also act as endocrine disruptors and induce developmental as well as neurological disorders, and thus, their removal from our natural environment is crucial for the rehabilitation of contaminated sites. To cope with HM pollution, phytoremediation has emerged as a low-cost and eco-sustainable solution to conventional physicochemical cleanup methods that require high capital investment and labor alter soil properties and disturb soil microflora. Phytoremediation is a green technology wherein plants and associated microbes are used to remediate HM-contaminated sites to safeguard the environment and protect public health. Hence, in view of the above, the present paper aims to examine the feasibility of phytoremediation as a sustainable remediation technology for the management of metal-contaminated sites. Therefore, this paper provides an in-depth review on both the conventional and novel phytoremediation approaches; evaluates their efficacy to remove toxic metals from our natural environment; explores current scientific progresses, field experiences, and sustainability issues; and r…
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Industrial hemp has been reported to be a hyperaccumulator.
“Industrial hemp has been reported to be a hyperaccumulator [2], [7], [8], [9].”
From Enhanced tolerance of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) plants on abandoned mine land soil leads to overexpression of cannabinoids (2019) · cites this paper as [2]
Plants can alter the bioavailability through mechanisms of lowering pH and oxygenating the soil.
“Plants can alter the bioavailability through mechanisms of lowering pH and oxygenating the soil [2].”
From Enhanced tolerance of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) plants on abandoned mine land soil leads to overexpression of cannabinoids (2019) · cites this paper as [2]
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- Authors
- Saxena, G., Purchase, D., Mulla, S. I., Saratale, G. D., & Bharagava, R. N.
- Affiliations
- Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (IN)
- Middlesex University London (GB)
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- Dongguk University (KR)
- Corresponding author
- Bharagava, Ram Naresh
- ORCID
- Venue
- Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
- Publisher
- Springer International Publishing
- Published
- 2019
- Volume
- 249
- Pages
- 71-131
- ISSN
- 0179-5953 (ISSN-L)
- 2197-6554
- OpenAlex
- W2913187714
- Cited by
- 347
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 33 · 2024: 53 · 2023: 56 · 2022: 57 · 2021: 54 · 2020: 59 · 2019: 26
- FWCI
- 46.16
- Type
- book chapter
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Middlesex University Research Repository (Middlesex University Of London) (acceptedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Heavy metals in environment
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Heavy Metal Pollution Remediation
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Environmental and Analytical Chemistry Studies
- Keywords
- phytoremediation, heavy metal contamination, contaminated site remediation, sustainable remediation, soil and water contamination, plant-microbe interactions, endocrine disruptors, genotoxicity, public health protection
- MeSH terms
- Biodegradation, Environmental, Plants, Soil, Soil Pollutants, Metals, Heavy
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