An Overview of Different Plant Species Used for the Phytoremediation of Soil Contaminants

Environment and human health might be adversely affected by different organic and inorganic contaminants in the soil brought on by human ventures such as mining, waste disposal, industrial discharge, and agriculture. Various soil remediation techniques such as soil encapsulation, soil washing, chemical soil stabilisation and bioremediation, and phytoremediation have been recognised as effective, affordable, and sustainable approaches for the treatment of areas polluted with heavy metal contamination and organic pollutants. With this approach, hazardous chemicals in the soil are cleaned up using plants, the main characteristics required for plants to be suitable for phytoremediation are rapid growth and high biomass, profound root system, easily harvestable, the accumulation of high levels of contaminant in shoots, and resistant to high levels of toxicity. Mainly aromatic plants, fibrous plants, woody plants, herbaceous plants, etc., are considered as these are not directly consumed by humans and assist in revenue generation compared to edible crops. Although phytoremediation is an effective method for reducing soil contaminants, it has limitations. One of the main challenges with this technique is the disposal of metal-contaminated biomass. This chapter offers comprehensive information on the plant species used for soil contaminant reduction and the management of contaminated biomass.