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with roots. The hypothesis that one of the possible future trends of phytoextraction
should be the removal of the bioavailable contaminants has recently received
renewed and increasing interest (Fitz et al. 2003; Van Nevel et al. 2007; Koopmans
et al. 2007). This approach can be safely applied if the soil ability to replenish the
bioavailable pools in the long term is considered as in the case of EBCS procedure.
In this frame phytoextraction can be evaluated and selected to minimize the mobile
and bioavailable fractions of contaminants, while improving soil quality. This
strategy should be carefully checked using an appropriate risk that incorporates
specific considerations of bioavailability (USEPA 2008a, b) to assess the potential
risks arising from the presence of any residual quantity of metals, even if inert, in a
contaminated site. The field scale applicability of phytoremediation is constrained
the long time required to achieve the remediation target, however, if the focus of the
technology is on the bioavailable contaminant fractions the time for remediation
is reduced. The technology does not remove, in general, great amounts of
contaminants, but plants are able to uptake the most environmentally significant
fractions. The technology is not invasive and it is able to improve the soil quality at
the end of the treatment. The selection of phytoextraction can avoid the excavation
and landfilling of soil, a practice that in few hours destroy what the nature has
created in hundreds of years.

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