Plant systems can be effective pump-and-treat systems for some contaminants. There is interest in finding inexpensive remediation technologies for sites contaminated by carbon tetrachloride and ethylene dibromide from grain fumigation activities. Experimental investigations have shown that volatile compounds such as trichloroethylene and methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) are released to the at...

PHYTOVOLATILIZATION OF THE VOLATILE CONTAMI­ NANTS ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE, ETHYLENE DICHLORIDE, AND CARBON TETRACHLORIDE 1L.C. Davis and 2L.E. Erickson 1Department of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Biochemistry Hall, Kansas State University, Manhat­ tan, KS 66506; Phone: (785)532-6121; Fax: (785)532-7278. 2Department of Chemical Engineering, Durland Hall, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506; ...

Selenium (Se) phytovolatilization, the process by which plants metabolize various inorganic or organic species of Se (e.g. selenate, selenite, and Se-methionine [Met]) into gaseous Se forms (e.g. dimethylselenide), is a potentially important means of removing Se from contaminated environments. Before attempting to genetically enhance the efficiency of Se phytovolatilization, it is essential to ...

Increased soil pollution with heavy metals due to various human and natural activities has led to a growing need to address environmental contamination. Some remediation technologies have been developed to treat contaminated soil, but a biology-based technology, phytoremediation, is emerging. Phytoremediation includes phytovolatilization, phytostabilization, and phytoextraction using hyperaccum...

Plants vary considerably in their physiological response to selenium (Se). Some plant species growing on seleniferous soils are Se tolerant and accumulate very high concentrations of Se (Se accumulators), but most plants are Se nonaccumulators and are Se-sensitive. This review summarizes knowledge of the physiology and biochemistry of both types of plants, particularly with regard to Se uptake ...

The phytoremediation of metal-contaminated soils offers a low-cost method for soil remediation and some extracted metals may be recycled for value. Both the phytoextraction of metals and the phytovolatilization of Se or Hg by plants offer great promise for commercial development. Natural metal hyperaccumulator phenotype is much more important than high-yield ability when using plants to remove ...

The technology of phytoremediation is cost effective and ecologically friendly in which plant utilizes its natural abilities to restore environment. In nature there are a number of plants existing with innate mechanisms for removing heavy metals from soil, air and water as a survival strategy.  Among several subsets of phytoremediation, the widely studied strategies are (a) phytoextraction (b) ...

Abandoned mine lands (AMLs), which are considered some of the most dangerous anthropogenic activities in world, a source hazards relating to potentially toxic elements (PTEs). Traditional reclamation techniques, expensive, time-consuming and not well accepted by general public, cannot be used on large scale. However, plant-based techniques have gained acceptance as an environmentally friendly a...