Phytoremediation

Article By:

Klein, Melinda A. U.S. Plant, Soil, and Nutrition Laboratory and Department of Plant Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.

Papoyan, Ashot U.S. Plant, Soil, and Nutrition Laboratory and Department of Plant Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.

Kochian, Leon V. U.S. Plant, Soil, and Nutrition Laboratory, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.

Last reviewed:January 2020

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.900122

The use of plants to clean up environmental contamination of surface soils. Phytoremediation is more cost-effective and environmentally appealing than other currently available methods for soil detoxification. The most common approach for soil cleanup involves the excavation and removal of polluted soil to a chemical treatment facility or a long-term storage landfill facility. This method is very costly for large-scale decontamination and can be destructive to the environment. Phytoremediation, on the other hand, costs significantly less and does not require the same degree of environmental perturbation. See also: Environmental toxicology; Soil chemistry; Soil conservation

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