Phytotechnology Mechanisms
Phytotechnologies are used for specific locations to treat various contaminants and pollutants. Each process treats certain types of land, waters and plant life.
Phytoextraction
Plants are able to sequester contaminant in tissue; this is called phytoextration or remediating by removal of plants containing the toxics. The sites on which this phytotechnology is used includes: constructed treatment wetlands, aquatic plant lagoons, field crops, gardens, landfill covers, riparian buffers, tree hydraulic barriers, and shrub plantations.
Phytodegradation
Methods remediation by destruction include phytodegradation, which is a plants ability to break down contaminants through enzymatic activity in their tissues. Phytodegradation is used to treat sediment and surface water in constructed treatment wetlands, soil and sediment in fields of crops, groundwater and sediment on plantations and on all forms of media in riparian buffers.
Phytovolatization
Phytovolatization is remediation by removal. Plants take up, translocate and subsequently volatize contaminants in the transpiration stream. It is used for aqautic plant lagoons, constructed treatment wetlands, field crops, herb or grass gardens, riparian buffers, and groundwater in tree or shurb plantations.
Phytosequestration
Another form of phytoremediation is by containment in phytosequestration. Plants sequester certain contaminants in the rhizosphere through release of phytochemicals and use transport proteins to contain them in their roots and stems.
Phytohydraulics
Because plants take up and transpire water phytohydraulics can be used to contain chemicals by controlling hydrology. This process can be used to treat surface water on landfill covers, surface water and groundwater on riparian buffers, and groundwater tree hydraulic barriers.
Rhizodegration
Rhizodegradation is the release phytochemicals by the plant to enhance microbial biodegradation of contaminants in the rhizosphere. Rhizodegration is used for sediment on construction treatment wetlands and field crops, gardens, soil and sediment on riparian buffers, and soil treatment on tree or shurb plantations.
Eco-Friendly Wastewater Treatment System
Here are phytoremediative plants combined with purification technologies.