Utilization of Multi-Tasking Non-Edible Plants for Phytoremediation and Bioenergy Source-A Review

Abstract

Heavy metal contamination of land and freshwater resources is a serious concern worldwide. It adversely affects the health of animals, plants and humans. Therefore, remediation of toxic heavy metals must be highly considered. Unlike other techniques, phytoremediation is a holistic technology and can be used in large scale for soil remediation as it is costless, novel, environmentally-safe and solar-driven technology. Utilization of non-edible plants in phytoremediation is an ingenious technique as they are used to generate new bioenergy resources along with the remediation of contaminated soils. Some nonfood bioenergy crops such as Salix species, Miscanthus species, Populus species, Eucalyptus species, and Ricinus communis exhibit high capability to accumulate various metals and to grow in contaminated lands. However, there are still sustainable challenges facing coupling phytoremediation with bioenergy production from polluted lands. Therefore, there has long been a need for developing different strategies to resolve such challenges. In this article review, we will discuss the phytoremediation mechanism, the technique of phytoremediation coupling with bioenergy production, sustainable problems facing linking phytoremediation with energy production as well as possible strategies to enhance the efficiency of bioenergy plants for soil decontamination by improving their characteristics such as metal uptake, transport, accumulation, and tolerance.

Coupling Plant Biomass Derived from Phytoremediation of Potential Toxic-Metal-Polluted Soils to Bioenergy Production and High-Value by-Products—A Review

“…For instance, Tiwari et al [126] reported the current phytoremediation situation in India, where the availability of different phytoremediator trees is abundant, for example, Azadirachta indica, Acacia nilotica, Prosopis juliflora, Terminalia arjuna, Pongamia pinnata, and Eucalyptus tereticornis. Special interest is the use of Azaridachta indica and Acacia nilotica not only for their use in traditional medicine, personal care, and the presence of biologically active compounds [127] but also because of restoration of eroded soils and the phytoremediation potential, removing organic compounds [128,129], radionuclides [130], and toxic metals [122,131,132]. The studies report using seeds of A. indica from phytoremediation to produce ethanol from biomass fermentation and biodiesel via base-catalyzed transesterification.…”

Cd, Hg and Pb concentration of finnish lyophilized hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) juice

“…The translocation of heavy metals is important to understand as they can concentrate into edible products made from the plant (Abdelsalam et al, 2019). Most of the heavy metals are accumulated into the roots (Ahmad et al, 2014;Citterio et al, 2003;Giovanardi et al, 2002;Shi et al, 2011;, though Cd and Zn are accumulated mostly into the shoots (Löser et al, 2002) or more specifically into the leaves (Arru et al, 2004;Eboh and Thomas, 2005;Giovanardi et al, 2002;Linger et al, 2002).…”

Trace Elements in the Soil-Plant Systems of Copper Mine Areas-A Case Study From Murgul Copper Mine From the Black Sea Region of Turkey

“…The proper management of tailings can prevent or mitigate the risks in the functioning of ecosystems and human health originating from heavy metal contaminations [5][6][7]20]. Phytomanagement is cost effective and environmentally friendly technique suitable for decreasing the environmental risks from metal(loid) enriched mine tailings [6,21,22].…”

“…Phytomanagement is cost effective and environmentally friendly technique suitable for decreasing the environmental risks from metal(loid) enriched mine tailings [6,21,22]. Several plants plants are used for the phytomanagement, as these show several edaphic constrains interferring with plant growth including heavy metal toxicity [20,23,24]. Native plant species are preferred because these are adapted not only to the contamination of tailings but also to the local climatic conditions [5,[25][26][27][28].…”

“…Generally abandoned mine tailings are left without any proper management, and therefore are unstable and prone to wind and water erosion, as well as to acid mine drainage [31][32][33]. The tailings pose serious environmental threats affecting water courses, soils and natural ecosystems, ultimately posing serious risk for human health [20,22,24]. A sustainable management is very important [5].…”