Developing Sustainable strategies with advance Phytoremediation

Boricha Hansa K* and Jadhav Pratima S # Asst. Prof & Co-Coordinator, Department of Biotechnology Principal, Elphinstone College, Mumbai 32 Email: hansaboricha@gmail.com
Abstract:
Environmental challenges in which phytoremediation has its central focal point in sustainable development use of plants are natural decontamcontamination is the major issue of this century due to deterioration of the environment and its natural resources by human activities which has made irreversible damage to some extent and hence sustainability of life on the earth has become a global concern. Scientists are investigating different approaches to overcome these environmental inators. The main thrust of this scientific investigation is to evaluate the potential of plants for its phytoremediation ability. Phytoremediation can be defined as environmental friendly, cheap and large scale method which uses the plant's natural ability and their associated microorganisms to contain, degrade, or eliminate toxic chemicals and pollutants (organic and inorganic) from the environment. It can be used to clean up metals/heavy metals, pesticides, solvents, explosives, crude oil, and contaminants that may leak from landfill sites (called leachates) or may enter the environment due to human activities. It can be achieved in several ways including phytoextraction, phytostabilization, phytodegradation, phytovolatilization, phytorestoration, phytomining, rhizosphere-enhanced degradation and rhizofiltration. Sustainable strategies can be worked out, planned, engineered and designed with ecological paradigm as our template so as to successfully defeat the environmental contamination by employing technology which not only safely utilize/consume all of the polluting components but also ultimately grow plants of economic value thereby embark upon the issue and getting further benefit out of it. Hence the article focuses on the recent advances in phytoremediation and biotechnological approaches for sustainable life and restoration of the environment. Key words: Phytoremediation, contaminants, sustainable strategies, rhizosphere-enhanced degradation and rhizofiltration Phytoremdiation Agricultural methods such as the application of fertilisers, chelators, and pH adjusters can be utilised to further improve the potential for phytoremediation. Genetic modification offers a new hope for phytoremediation as GM approaches can be used to overexpress the enzymes involved in the existing plant metabolic pathways or to introduce new pathways into plants.

Phytoremdiation: Phytoremediation is the name specified to various set of technologies involving that utilize plants to clean-up contaminated site. Long-term, objective field evaluation is critical to understanding how well phytoremediation may work, what the real cost of application will be, and how to build models to predict the interaction Rhizodegradation (also called enhanced rhizosphere Phytoremediation is also an innovative, cost-effective and socio-economically biodegradation, phytostimulation, and plant assisted beneficial technology that uses plants to degrade, assimilate, metabolize, or bioremediation) is the breakdown of organic contaminants in detoxify metals, hydrocarbons, pesticides, and chlorinated solvents in contaminated the soil by soil dwelling microbes which is enhanced by the sites rhizosphere's presence. Certain soil dwelling microbes digest Phytoremediation encompasses many processes, organic pollutants such as fuels and solvents, producing such as phytotransformation (transformation of organic contaminants harmless pproducts through a process known as into a less toxic, less mobile, or more stable form), phytodegradation Bioremediation. Plant root exudates such as sugars, alcohols, (metabolism of the organic contaminant by the plant enzymes), phytovolatilization and organic acids act as carbohydrate sources for the soil (volatilization of organic contaminants through plant leaves), microflora and enhance microbial growth and activity. Some of and rhizoremediation. these compound may also act as chemotactic signals for certain To expand the use and successful application of bioremediation and microbes. The plant roots also loosen the soil and transport phytoremediation, more research is needed to better understand the capability water to the rhizosphere thus additionaly enhancing microbial of microorganisms under different environmental conditions. This activity. Riparian corridors would control of Pollutants Hydraulichelp in better designing the engineered systems for remediation of Phytovolatilization is the process where plants uptake Riparian be focused to expand contaminated sites. term given to Hydraulic control is the To achieve this object, efforts shouldcorridors and buffer strips are the contaminaints which are water soluble and release them into applications of many aspects of phytoremediation thethe research regarding soil-microbe-plant-contaminant interactions to use of plants to control the the atmosphere as they transpire the water. The contaminant along the field scale. translate subsurface water through migration ofeffectively the bench- and pilot-scale findings to banks of a river or the edges of may become modified along the way, as the water travels along groundwater plumes. Pytodegradation, the rapid upltake of large volumes of the plant's vascular system from the roots to the leaves, phytovolatilization, and rhizodegradation are used water by the plants. The plants are whereby the contaminants evaporate or volatilize into the air to control the spread of contaminants and to effectively acting as natural hydraulic surrounding the plant. There are varying degrees of success remediate polluted uptake metal strips refer to Phytoextraction a dense root pumps which whenis the name given to the process where plant roots sites. Ripariancontaminants with plants as phytovolatilizers with one study showing poplar these tissues. Metal banks of rivers and streams, from has been established near the networkthe soil and translocate them to their above soil uses along the compounds that have been trees to volatilize up to 90% of the TCE they absorb. whereas buffer there is the use of such successfully transpire up to 300 water table canphytoextracted include zinc, copper, and nickel, butstrips arepromising research applications being completed day. This fact has gallons of water per on lead and chromium absorbing plants along the perimeter of landfills. Vegetative cover been utilised to decrease the migration Vegetative cover is the name Rhizofiltration Rhizofiltration is the of contaminants from surface water adsorption or precipitation onto plant given to the use of plants as a cover or cap growing over landfill sites. roots, or absorption into the roots of into the groundwater (below the water contaminants that are The standard in solution surrounding the root table) and drinking water supplies. zone, due to biotic or abiotic caps for such sites are usually plastic or clay. Plants used in this manner are not only processes. There are two such uses for plants: more aesthically pleasing they may also help to control situ but are acclimated to the pollutant Plants used for rhizoliltration are not planted directly inerosion, leaching of contaminants, and may also than soil, until a large root system has first. are hydroponically grown in clean water rather help to degrade the underlying landfill. developed. Repeated treatment of contaminated site have a positive effect where the "Green" Technology: level. A classical example is of Chernobyl where sunflowers were pollutants are reduced to safeSimple Concept and Cost-Effective grown in radioactively contaminated pools Risk Assessment Phytostabilisation is the use of certain plants to many environmental concerns, especially The use of phytoremediation in the field is subject to immobilise soil and water contaminants. in the light of the recent pulic Contaminant are absorbed crops into the environment. Even if onto the roots, or precipitated hysteria about the release of GMand accumulated by roots, adsorbednon GM strains of plants are used there are still many in the is unknown This ecological effects hyperaccumulator plants contaminants preventing concerns: Itrhizosphere. whatreduces or even prevents the mobility of themay have if ingested by animals migration into thetissues in autumn may also re-enter the food chain Fallout from senescing groundwater or air, and also reduces the bioavailibility of the contaminant thus preventing spreadremain at 'safe' levels in the atmosphere Do volatilized contaminants through the food chain. This of the ecosystem to contaminants is prolonged as community on sites a relatively slow Exposure technique can alos be used to re-establish a plant phytoremediation isthat have been process denuded are other high levels of metal contamination. for the use of transgenic organisms as However theredue to the issues that affect the risk assesmentOnce a community of tolerant species phytoremediators. Not only has been established the potential for wind erosion (and thus spread of the pollutant) is do such organisms have the same risks as witld type remediators but they also have the same risks as releasing any GM organism reduced and leaching of the soil contaminants is also reduced. into the field have: The potential genetic pollution of native species Potential for the gene to recombine with other genes possibly leading to the hyperaccumulation of non-contaminant compounds Reporter/marker genes may also escape into the environment The GM plants may revert to a wild type genotype

Phytodegradation is the degradation or breakdown of organic contaminants by internal and external metabolic processes driven by the plant. Ex planta metabolic processes hydrolyse organic compounds into smaller units that can be absorbed by the plant. Some contaminants can be absorbed by the plant and are then broken down by plant enzymes. These smaller pollutant molecules may then be used as metabolites by the plant as it grows, thus becoming incorporated into the plant tissues. Plant enzymes have been identified that breakdown ammunition wastes, chlorinated solvents such as TCE (Trichloroethane), and others which degrade organic herbicides.

PHYTOTECHNOLOGY MECHANISMS Mechanism Phytoextraction Description Contaminants Types of Plants Variety of natural and selected hyperaccumulators, e.g., Thalaspi, Ability of plants to take up Metals, inorganics, radionuclides contaminants into the plant and sequester the contaminant within the plant tissue (roots or harvestable shoots) from soil into Stabilization of contaminants by Metals, organics binding, holding soils, and/or decreased leaching

Phytostabilization

Various plants with deep or fibrous root systems

Phytotransformation Rhizosphere Bioremediation

Sorption, uptake, and transformation Organics, including nitroaromatics and Trees and grasses of contaminants chlorinated aliphatics Ability of released phytochemicals to Organics; e.g., PAHs, petroleum Grasses, alfalfa, many other species enhance microbial biodegradation of hydrocarbons, TNT, pesticides including trees contaminants in the rhizosphere Ability of plants to take up and Metals, radionuclides, transpire water organics hydrophobic Aquatic plants, (e.g., duckweed, pennywort) Brassica, sunflower Trees for VOCs in groundwater; Brassica, grasses, wetlands plants for Se, Hg in soil/sediments

Phytohydraulics

Phytovolatilization

Ability of plants to take up, translocate, Volatile oganic compounds, Se, Hg and subsequently volatilize contaminants in the transpiration stream from soil water and groundwater; conversion of Se and Hg to volatile chemical species

Mechanism Phytodegradation Phytoextraction

Description Cleanup Goal Ability of plants to take up and break down contaminants within plant tissues through internal enzymatic activity Remediation by destruction Ability of plants to take up contaminants into the plant and sequester the contaminant within the plant tissue Remediation by removal of plants containing the contaminant Phytohydraulics Ability of plants to take up and transpire waterContainment by controlling hydrology Phytosequestration Ability of plants to sequester certain contaminants into the rhizosphere through release of phytochemicals, and sequester contaminants on/into the plant roots and stems through transport proteins and cellular processes Containment Ability of plants to take up, translocate, and subsequently volatilize contaminants in the transpiration stream Remediation by removal through plants Ability of released phytochemicals to enhance microbial biodegradation of contaminants in the rhizosphere Remediation by destruction

Phytovolatilization Rhizodegradation