Heavy Metals Hyperaccumulating Plants : Phytoremediation

ISBN-13: 9783639100556 / Angielski / Miękka / 2009 / 132 str.

Mohamed Fawzy Ramadan Hassanien; Khaled M. Wahdan; Mohamed M. Afify Amer

Opis

Heavy metals may have deleterious effects on soilmicroorganisms and plants. Excess of zinc, cadmiumand lead in soils have been linked to human healtheffects, animal fatalities and the disruption ofnatural ecosystems. At present, the most common cleanup technology consists of removing contaminated soil,transporting, the soil to landfills and replacing thesoil with clean topsoil. This clean up technique doesnot solve the problem; it only transfers problem soilfrom one area to another in a relatively costly andcumbersome way. Hence, the use of highly specializedplants, which are able to accumulate highconcentrations of heavy metals in harvestable shoottissue, termed phytoremediation involves successivecropping of these plants on contaminated sites. Thismonograph is focus on phytoremediation as a novelstrategy for the removal of toxic metals from theenvironment using plants.