Determination of heavy metals in the territory of contaminated areas of Greece and their restoration through hyperaccumulators

Charvalas, G.; Solomou, Alexandra D.; Giannoulis, Kyriakos D.; Skoufogianni, Elpiniki; Bartzialis, D.; Emmanouil, Christina; Danalatos, N.G.

doi:10.1007/s11356-020-11920-8

Cited by 20 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…This accumulation of toxic metals in the environment has resulted from various types of waste and pollutants, such as mining waste, fertilizers, paper mills, and various toxic elements from emissions in the atmosphere. Unfortunately, the concentration of toxic metals found in polluted soils is often considerably greater than that which is required to exert a toxic effect on the majority of higher plants (e.g., the hyperaccumulation threshold values are set at 100 μgg −1 for Cd, Se, and Tl; 300 μgg −1 for Co, Cr, and Cu; 1000 μgg −1 for As, Ni, and Pb; 3000 μgg −1 for Zn; and 10,000 μgg −1 for Mn) [2]. Another unsettling fact is the certainty that toxic metals can affect the biosphere for extremely long periods, polluting the water table through the soil layers.…”

Section: Toxic Metalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Plants belonging to the Crassulaceae family are used for Zn accumulation and other plants suitable for Se absorption are found in the Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Rubiaceae and Brassicaceae families. Finally, the Solanaceae present a number of Cd hyperaccumulators [2,133].…”

Section: Plant Selection Criteria For An Effective Phytoremediationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In recent decades, there has been a rising demand for remediation technologies as the levels of pollution have grown considerably [1,2]. Contaminants are present in hazardous amounts in many parts of the world, posing a severe health risk for ecosystems and all levels of the food chain.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In fact, as exemplified by Reeves et al (2018), the Mediterranean basin is considered to be a source for nickel hyperaccumulating species [18]. Moreover, some examples of the metalliferous soils in the Mediterranean region are the area of Stratoni in Chalkidiki, Northern Greece (Pb, Zn, Ag) [2] and the area of Castellón, a province of the Valencian Mediterranean region (Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu) [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such areas, which are unfortunately rising in number each year, have a high metal content and are in need of restoration. Mediterranean summers are known to be fire-prone and so phytoremediation may be a valuable tool for treating the affected areas [2]. Notably, phytoremediation may be an even more attractive approach as, when associated with other technologies (e.g., biofuel production, agromining, etc.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Utilizing Mediterranean Plants to Remove Contaminants from the Soil Environment: A Short Review

Solomou¹,

Germani

Proutsos³

et al. 2022

Agriculture

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The use of contaminated soils in food production imposes the need for the reduction in heavy metals concentrations, using various techniques, in order to eliminate the toxic effects of pollution and ensure safety in the consumption of agricultural products. Phytoremediation is a promising, effective, and publicly acceptable method to remove soils’ toxicity. This study aims to investigate the current knowledge on plants’ metal tolerance mechanisms, the use of Mediterranean plants in phytoremediation, and the economic perspective for its application on large scales. A total of 166 research studies were systematically reviewed, based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The findings indicate that phytoremediation has more advantages compared to other techniques. It can be a sustainable and affordable option, especially for developing countries, due to the relatively low application and maintenance costs. Many hyperaccumulating plants have been identified that can be used in soil cleansing, enhancing the applicability and replicability of the method. The selection of the appropriate plant species is based on their specific physiological characteristics to remove undesirable elements from the soils and, in certain cases, there is a preference for use of non-native species. However, such species may exhibit invasive behaviors, introducing high uncertainties and risks in the preservation of local ecosystems, especially in the Mediterranean zone, since they can have a serious impact on the environmental and ecological dynamics of the local plant communities. The use of native plants is generally more advantageous since they are better acclimated, have no effects on the local ecological balance, and can eliminate the legal restrictions for their use (seed availability, planting, etc.).

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Section: Toxic Metalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Plant Selection Criteria For An Effective Phytoremediationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%