Open Access

REVIEW

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

by Ibrahim M. Abdelsalam, Mostafa Elshobary, Mohamed M. Eladawy, Mohammed Nagah

1 Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta, 31527, Egypt.
2 Microbial Chemistry Department, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, 12622, Egypt.
3 School of Food & Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, China.

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2019, 88(2), 69-90. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2019.06831

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.

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Citations