Phytoremediation technique on the rehabilitation of contaminated areas and the application of Zantedeschia aethiopica (L.) in this process: a narrative review

Abstract

Phytoremediation is an innovative, efficient and eco-friendly technique for the treatment of contaminated areas. This method consists in the use of plant species for extraction, degradation, containment or immobilization of pollutants/xenobiotics. Recently, ornamental plants have been gaining spotlight in remediation studies, precisely because of their aesthetic value and their ability to develop in environments contaminated with heavy metals, textile dyes and pesticides. An important ornamental species for these studies is Zantedeschia aethiopica (L.) Spreng. popularly known as calla lily. The objective of this narrative review is to report up-to-date studies on the use of phytoremediation to clean up contaminated areas and highlight the use of ornamental plants of the genus Zantedeschia in this process, especially the species Zantedeschia aethiopica. For this, articles indexed between 2015 and 2022, written in Portuguese and English, were selected and the searches were carried out through three electronic databases, Google Scholar, Web of Science and SciELO. The papers were selected through the association between the words Zantedeschia spp., Zantedeschia aethiopica, ornamental plants and phytoremediation with several other related topics. This review aims to emphasize the gaps found in phytoremediation of contaminated environments studies, specially mediated by Z. aethiopica, indicating paths for further research.

A bibliographic review on Paricá (Schizolobium amazonicum Huber ex Ducke) and its relationship with the phytoremediation of environments contaminated by heavy metals

“…In Brazil, the phytoremediation technique has gained interest and obtained important advances in the field of research. Some studies have applied the technique to treat soils contaminated with herbicides and have observed that various types of plants can be used for this purpose, such as ornamental specimens, macrophytes, woody trees, agricultural crops, and grasses (Bergamo, Daquila, and Conte, 2022).…”

“…In Brazil, studies have been conducted to treat soils contaminated with herbicides through phytoremediation (Galon et al, 2017, Ferreira et al, 2021, Vasconcelo et al, 2020. In these, it was found that there is a diversity of plants capable of acting in this process, among them ornamental specimens, macrophytes, woody trees, agricultural crops, and grasses (Kaushal et al, 2021 apud Bergamo, Daquila, andConte, 2022). Contribuciones a Las Ciencias Sociales, São José dos Pinhais, v.16, n.7, p. 7206-7218, 2023 The phytoremediation technique can be applied in accidents such as the one that occurred in Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, after the rupture of the dam of the Feijão stream mine and others such as Fundão, in Mariana, which occurred in Brazil, since some plant species have the capacity of hyperaccumulation.…”