Removing Heavy Metals from the Soil with Phytoremediation

Environmental pollution is one of the most critical factors adversely affecting human health. Improvement in living standards, the rapid increase of urban populations, and widespread industrial production, all result in the generation of huge amounts of environment-polluting waste. Various methods are used to remove the pollutants generated by industrial activity but most of these methods require advanced technologies, involving a large financial investment and qualified personnel. Taking these costs and overheads into consideration, some economically developed countries have recently started working with phytoremediation (plantbased remediation) which, compared with the alternatives, is a much more environment-friendly waste treatment system. Also known as plant-based remediation, phytoremediation is defined as the use of various plants to stabilize or reduce contamination in the environment. Compared with other remediation technologies, phytoremediation offers the advantages of on-site treatment, aesthetic value, and low costs. Hyperaccumulators such as Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea), Red Fescue (Festucarubra), and Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) are known to absorb heavy metals, releasing them into the atmosphere in the form of gas. This study examines phytoremediation technology, the plant species that could be used for this purpose, and the feasibility of using phytoremediation in Turkey.