Page 51 - Plant-Based Remediation Processes

Chapter 3
Metal/Metalloid Phytoremediation: Ideas
and Future

Mirosław Mleczek, Aneta Piechalak, Barbara Tomaszewska,
Kinga Drzewiecka, and Przemysław Nuc

Heavy metals and metalloids constitute a serious ecological concern in almost
any environmental matrix (Fu and Wang 2011). The actual problem connected
with trace elements results from the fact that they are readily transported to living
organisms and have an adverse effect on their physiology. Taking into consider-
ation periodical economic recessions and permanent demand for energy, it is
necessary to develop modern methods based on biological, neutral and relatively
cheap measures, characterised by high efficiency (Witters et al. 2012). Biological
methods, including phytoremediation, are often considered as unconventional in
relation to other methods (physical, chemical and mechanical), but they have a
considerable potential, which even at the commonly acknowledged limitations in
their applicability, ensures their dynamic development (Singh and Prasad 2011).
The scope of issues investigated by authors of research papers concerning
phytoremediation is extensive and in the last 20 years has been considerably
modified, aiming at ensuring high process efficiency within a relatively short
time, as well as simplicity of the adopted solutions and low costs (Glick 2010).
As with any method, phytoremediation has its own limitations connected with,
e.g. maintaining relatively high effectiveness over long time periods. This fact is
obvious, particularly when comparing this approach with technical or semi-
technical methods, exhibiting high effectiveness and rapid rate of operation
(Peng et al. 2009). However, biological methods will develop even faster than
what we observe at present, as is evidenced, e.g. by the rapidly growing number
of research papers published on the subject in recent years. Our aim in this study
to present several essential problems concerning phytoremediation, insight into

M. Mleczek (*) • K. Drzewiecka
Department of Chemistry, Poznan ´ University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 75,
60-625 Poznan ´, Poland
e-mail: mirekmm@up.poznan.pl
A. Piechalak • B. Tomaszewska • P. Nuc
Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology,
Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan ´, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznan ´, Poland

D.K. Gupta (ed.), Plant-Based Remediation Processes, Soil Biology 35, 39
DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-35564-6_3, # Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013