A Review Opportunities for the Utilization of Phytoremediation Biomass Rich in Heavy Metals VIDICAN Roxana, Tania MIHĂIESCU * , Anca PLEȘA, Ioana CRIȘAN University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, 3-5 Mănăștur Str., 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania Received 3 August 2020; received and revised form 28 August 2020; accepted 1 September 2020 Available online 30 September 2020 Abstract Contamination with heavy metals (HM) represents an environmental and health concern. One green solution to this problem is phytoremediation that uses plants to mitigate the contamination. Through phytoextraction, heavy metals are translocated and taken up by the plants and then stored in various organs (both aboveground and underground). Repeated disposal of harvested biomass can speed up the decontamination process. The resulting biomass can have various concentrations in heavy metals depending on the level of contamination. The fate of phytoremediation biomass rises further environmental problems. Market opportunities for safe valorization of the biomass might contribute at extending this technology to larger scales. To achieve this, the selection of plant species should consider besides the accumulation capacity also the potential economic value (aromatic and energy crops, pulp-paper crops, timber trees or ornamentals). Biomass can be used for the obtaining of safe essential oils, energy (thermal, electric), biofuels, biochar and organic acids with various uses. New emerging directions are phyto-mining for retrieval of certain valuable metals as well as the utilization of soils rich in Fe, Zn and Se for crop biofortification. The existing opportunities are dependent on contaminants, their level and plant selection. Phytoremediation strategy should take in consideration the valorization channels and possibilities from a commercial perspective in order to help integrate this green technology into a sustainable value-chain. Keywords: heavy metals, decontamination, plants, valorization, upcycling. 1. Defining heavy metals In the context of increased pollution, contamination of the environment with heavy metals (HM) has become a health concern [18]. Some heavy metals such as Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn and Zn have a functional role in the organism of plants and animals but only in very small quantities and are toxic at higher levels. Other metal(loid)s such as As, Cd, Cr, Pb can be highly toxic even at extremely low levels both for plants and animals [6]. * Corresponding author. Tel: +40-264-596384 Fax: +40-264-593792 e-mail: tania.mihaiescu@usamvcluj.ro Among decontamination methods, phytoremediation enjoys public acceptance, is cheaper than other methods and creates opportunities for upcycling the resulting biomass [20]. By establishing a link between value-plants used in phytoremediation and their post-remediation commercial potential, new market opportunities might contribute at extending this green technology to larger scales [14], and also cover some operational and investment costs. It has been suggested that the selection of plant species used in phytoremediation should consider besides the decontamination capacity also the potential economic value. From this perspective short rotation coppice is recognized as an attractive option at the moment [7]. Available online at http://journals.usamvcluj.ro/index.php/promediu ProEnvironment ProEnvironment 13 (2020) 77-81 77