The Impact of Uncertainty on Phytoremediation Project Costs

Abstract

Pollution of the environment by metals and organic contaminants is an intractable global problem, with cleanup costs running into billions of dollars using current engineering technologies. The availability of alternative, cheap and effective technologies would significantly improve the prospects of cleaning-up metal contaminated sites. Phytoremediation has been proposed as an economical and 'green' method of exploiting plants to extract or degrade the contaminants in the soil. To date, the majority of phytoremediation efforts have been directed at leaping the biological biochemical and agronomic hurdles to deliver a working technology, with scant attention to the economic outlook other than simple estimates of the cost advantages ofphytoremediation over other techniques. In this paper we use a deterministic actauarial model to show that uncertainty in project success (the possibility that full clean up may not be realized) may significantly increase the perceived costs of remediation works for decision-makers.

“In situ” phytostabilisation of heavy metal polluted soils using Lupinus luteus inoculated with metal resistant plant-growth promoting rhizobacteria

“…Contradictory results have been reported upon application of laboratory or green house systems in the field [8,16].…”

Bibliometric Analysis of Phytotechnologies for Remediation: Global Scenario of Research and Applications

“…Making a non-site specific statement about costs of phytoremediation versus conventional approaches will often be inaccurate due to differences in land costs, personnel needed, and environmental conditions which would limit the choice of plants available across different sites. According to a model developed by Linacre et al (2005) the major variables effecting the economic success of phytoremediation are costs of implementation, cost of land for remediation, operational time, and probability of success. With highly valued sites, immediate returns may favor more rapid, conventional remediation techniques.…”

Phytoremediation of small organic contaminants using transgenic plants

“…The uncertainty related to the duration and effectiveness of cleanup may make phytoremediation economically unfavorable [12]. Cleanup time may be the most crucial measure of economic viability [13].…”