Introduction

This is a crucial, even primordial, problem that continues to grow in importance. It affects water, air, and soil, despite the measures taken to address it. The pollution of our lakes, a source of attraction in cities, requires more attention than ever before: phytoremediation.

Phytoremediation: What is it?

The etymology of the word presents us with the term ‘phyto’, which refers to plants, and ‘remediation’ as providing a solution to a problem. It is therefore the ability of certain plants to capture pollutants through their roots in order to preserve them or transform them into less toxic forms. These plants include willows, sunflowers, reeds, hyacinth, and tobacco.

What are the Criteria for Choosing Phytoremediation Plants?

Nature is full of plants, as beautiful as they are useful. Those used in phytoremediation are carefully selected based on the type of soil to be remediated, but especially on their growth rate and their ability to adapt to the environment. Therefore, depending on the pollutant you want to remove from the water, the choice will focus on the plant that will best tolerate it.

Phytoremediation: How does it work?

Several mechanisms allow plants to extract pollutants from water. First, rhizofiltration, which involves the capture of pollutants by plant roots, followed by their precipitation in the rhizosphere. Phytodegradation, on the other hand, traps pollutants in the plant’s rhizosphere, its leaves, or its roots. Others are capable of stabilization, meaning they capture pollutants from water, convert them into a less toxic form, and then release them into the atmosphere.

Phytoremediation: Plant Fate, Advantages, and Disadvantages

The fate of plants is a sensitive issue in phytoremediation. Indeed, after the waters are decontaminated, they are removed and incinerated. But be careful! Since the pollutants are present in them, especially when it comes to rhizofiltration and phytocaptation, it would be appropriate to remove them carefully; otherwise, phytoremediation would simply transport the pollutant from one area to another. Phytoremediation has the major advantage of being a sustainable and ecological solution, inexpensive and requiring no major maintenance. However, it has the disadvantage of taking time to decontaminate, which is the time it takes for the plant to grow and adapt.

Conclusion

It is time to turn to phytoremediation as a process for decontaminating our wastewater. Indeed, faced with a developing continent, inexpensive and accessible solutions would effectively eliminate pollution, a major source of waterborne diseases and climate change.

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