Phytoremediation—From Environment Cleaning to Energy Generation—Current Status and Future Perspectives

Anna Grzegórska, Piotr Rybarczyk, Andrzej Rogala and Dawid Zabrocki
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Anna Grzegórska: Department of Process Engineering and Chemical Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12 Street, 80-233 Gdansk, Poland
Piotr Rybarczyk: Department of Process Engineering and Chemical Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12 Street, 80-233 Gdansk, Poland
Andrzej Rogala: Department of Process Engineering and Chemical Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12 Street, 80-233 Gdansk, Poland
Dawid Zabrocki: Research and Development Dawid Zabrocki, Jęczniki Wielkie 36A, 77-300 Człuchów, Poland

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-43

Abstract: Phytoremediation is a technology based on the use of green plants to remove, relocate, deactivate, or destroy harmful environmental pollutants such as heavy metals, radionuclides, hydrocarbons, and pharmaceuticals. Under the general term of phytoremediation , several processes with distinctively different mechanisms of action are hidden. In this paper, the most popular modes of phytoremediation are described and discussed. A broad but concise review of available literature research with respect to the dominant process mechanism is provided. Moreover, methods of plant biomass utilization after harvesting, with particular regard to possibilities of “bio-ore” processing for metal recovery, or using energy crops as a valuable source for bio-energy production (bio-gas, bio-ethanol, bio-oil) are analyzed. Additionally, obstacles hindering the commercialization of phytoremediation are presented and discussed together with an indication of future research trends.

Keywords: phytoremediation; soil contaminants; plant utilization; metal recovery; bioenergy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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