International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, Volume 5, Issue 4, April-2014 584
ISSN 2229-5518
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BASIC TECHNIQUES OF
PHYTOREMEDIATION
Shivendra Sharma
1
, Hardik Pathak
2
1
Department of Biotechnology, JECRC University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
2
Department of Biotechnology, JECRC University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
shivendra.sharma16@gmail.com
hardikaeshu@gmail.com
Abstract
The rapid increase in population coupled with fast industrialization growth causes serious environmental problems particularly
soil pollution. Farmers generally use fertilizers to appropriate soil deficiencies. Since the metals are not degradable, their
accumulation in the soil above their toxic levels becomes an indestructible poison for crops. There are a number of
conventional remediation technologies which are employed to remediate environmental contamination with heavy metals such
as solidification, soil washing and permeable barriers. But a majority of these technologies are costly to implement and cause
further disturbance to the already damaged environment. Phytoremediation, Phytoextraction or phytominig, Phytostabilization,
Rhizofilteration, Rhizodegradation, Phytovolatilization is evolving as a cost-effective alternative to high-energy, high-cost
conventional methods. These are considered to be a “Green Revolution” in the field of innovative cleanup technologies.
Constituents amenable to phytoremediation include Pb
2+
,Sr, Cd
2+,
Cu
2+,
Ni
2+,
Zn
2+,
Cr
6+,
U, Sr. The plant affected soil
environment can convert metals from a soluble to an insoluble oxidation state As, Cd, Cr
6+,
Pb, Zn. Therefore, the process of
remediation using micro-organisms represents a promising, largely untapped resource for new environmental biotechnologies.
Keywords: Accumulation, Bioremediation, Heavy Metals, Toxic Phytoremediation
1 INTRODUCTION
In recent years, public concerns relating to ecological
threats caused by heavy metal (HM) have led to
intensive research of new economical plants based
remediation technologies. Conventional methods
used for reclamation of contaminated soils, namely
chemical, physical and microbiological methods, are
costly to install and operate.[1] The rapid increase in
population coupled with fast industrialization growth
causes serious environmental problems, including the
production and release of considerable amounts of
toxic waste materials into environment
.
[2]
Soil pollution or land pollution is major problem in the
world. Soil pollution is results from buildup of
contaminants, toxic compounds, radioactive
materials, chemical compounds. The most common
sources of soil pollution are hydrocarbons, heavy
metals (Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, Hg and As), herbicides,
pesticides, tars and PCBs. Industry is to blame for the
biggest pollution disaster in the whole world. Heavy
metals like Fe, Zn, Cu, Pb, As etc. are come from
industrialized plants which are very much harmful for
land and human being. High level of radionuclide like
nitrogen and phosphorus can be found surrounding
farm centers containing high population densities of
livestock. Pesticides also soak into the soil and
leaving lasting effects.
Farmers generally use fertilizers to appropriate soil
deficiencies. Fertilizers contaminate the soil with
impurities, which come from the raw materials used
for their manufacture. Mixed fertilizers often contain
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