Low Cost Water and Wastewater Treatment Systems - Chapter 3: Phytoremediation, an ecofriendly wastewater treatment technique

Freshwater resources have recently been threatened by a variety of pollutants. On the other hand, using contaminated water for agricultural and household purposes causes bioaccumulation and potentially biomagnification in the food chain. Despite its limitations, the phytoremediation technique approach to contaminated aquatic ecosystem remediation appears to be very promising. The current chapter of the book discusses the fundamental principles of phytoremediation, specifically various related processes, mechanisms, influencing factors, wastewater treatment implementation, constraints, and future development. Phytoremediation can be used to treat a wide range of contaminants (heavy metals, organics, radionuclides, petroleum waste, antibiotics, etc.). The ability of plants to remediate pollutants varies according to the target pollutants and the environment in which the plant grows. As a result, appropriate plant selection for contaminants and site conditions is critical. There are several limitations to using phytoremediation techniques, including a long development time, lower efficiency, reliance on climate, and growing plants. To address these issues, proper design, amendments, and plant species selection are required. Furthermore, more research is needed to prove or measure the efficacy of phytoremediation technologies and to try to expand their application.