Logo image
Back
Advances in Phytoremediation
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Advances in Phytoremediation

Annette C. Dietz and Jerald L. Schnoor
Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol.109(Suppl. 1), pp.163-168
2001
DOI: 10.1289/ehp.01109s1163
PMCID: PMC1240550
PMID: 11250813
Appears in  Diamond Open Access
pdf
Advances in Phytoremediation299.97 kBDownloadView
Published (Version of record) Open Access
url
https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.01109s1163View
Published (Version of record)Environmental Health Perspectives, 109: Suppl. 1(2001), pp. 163-168.

Abstract

Phytoremediation is the use of plants to remedy contaminated soils, sediments, and/or groundwater. Sorption and uptake are governed by physicochemical properties of the compounds, and moderately hydrophobic chemicals (logarithm octanol--water coefficients = 1.0--3.5) are most likely to be bioavailable to rooted, vascular plants. Some hydrophilic compounds, such as methyl-tert-butylether and 1,4-dioxane, may also be taken up by plants via hydrogen bonding with transpiration water. Organic chemicals that pass through membranes and are translocated to stem and leaf tissues may be converted (e.g., oxidized by cytochrome P450s), conjugated by glutathione or amino acids, and compartmentalized in plant tissues as bound residue. The relationship between metabolism of organic xenobiotics and toxicity to plant tissues is not well understood. A series of chlorinated ethenes is more toxic to hybrid poplar trees (Populus deltoides x nigra, DN-34) than are the corresponding chlorinated ethanes. Toxicity correlates best with the number of chlorine atoms in each homologous series. Transgenic plants have been engineered to rapidly detoxify and transform such xenobiotic chemicals. These could be used in phytoremediation applications if issues of cost and public acceptability are overcome.

Details

Metrics

1209 File views/ downloads
247 Record Views
289 Times Cited - Web of Science
Logo image