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Phytotechnologies: Lessons from the Field on the Use of Plants...
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Phytotechnologies: Lessons from the Field on the Use of Plants to Improve Polluted Environments

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2021) | Viewed by 27575

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Werther Guidi Nissim

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Guest Editor
DAGRI - Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agrarie, Alimentari Ambientali e Forestali, University of Florence, Viale delle Idee 30, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy
Interests: environmental management; phytoremediation; biomass energy; phytotechnology; ecological engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The current widespread popularity of phytotechnologies among scientists is well documented by the annual increase of published papers on the topic. At the same time, there has also been an increase in environmental consciousness among the general public. Environmental pollution, left unchecked, may have negative impacts on water, air, and soil quality; the safety and security of our food supply; and the persistence of other species.

Unfortunately, relatively few examples of practical applications of phytotechnologies are currently available. This is largely due to several constraints that limit their application on a wide scale. Engineers and scientists working in collaboration can create both tailored solutions and phased projects that demonstrate the value of phytotechnologies over time.

The aim of this Special Issue is to fill the gap between the theory and the field application of phytotechnology. Both successful and failed applied projects that highlight the potential and the limitations of using phytotechnologies as alternatives to conventional remediation techniques, are welcome, thereby helping to transfer useful information to new locations, and to advance our understanding of phytotechnologies.

In the forthcoming Special Issue, we welcome scientific works (original research papers, field trials and case studies, modelling approaches, and reviews) from large-scale phytotechnology application projects.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Phytoremediation of trace elements and organic compounds;
  • Phytomanagement of wastewater;
  • Phytomanagement of sludge and landfill leachate;
  • Phytoremediation of saline waters;
  • Environmental restoration;
  • Social perception of phytotechnologies.

Thank you for your contribution.

Dr. Werther Guidi Nissim
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 1795 KiB  
Article
The Use of Sorghum in a Phytoattenuation Strategy: A Field Experiment on a TE-Contaminated Site
by Alexandre Perlein, Valérie Bert, Océane Desannaux, Marcella Fernandes de Souza, Arnaud Papin, Rodolphe Gaucher, Isabelle Zdanevitch and Erik Meers
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(8), 3471; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11083471 - 13 Apr 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1595
Abstract
Phytoattenuation combines phytoextraction or phytostabilization with the economic valorization of the biomass produced on the contaminated soil. Sorghum bicolor is a suitable crop for this strategy, as it is known to be metal-tolerant and can be used for biogas or bioethanol production or [...] Read more.
Phytoattenuation combines phytoextraction or phytostabilization with the economic valorization of the biomass produced on the contaminated soil. Sorghum bicolor is a suitable crop for this strategy, as it is known to be metal-tolerant and can be used for biogas or bioethanol production or in strategies toward biofortification. In the current investigation, two cultivars, Biomass 133 and Trudan Headless (HL), were studied in a metal-contaminated (Cd, Pb, Zn) field site located in northern France to assess their potential use in a phytoattenuation strategy. The biomass yield and the metal transfer in the produced biomass were monitored in three plots with different pollution levels. Both cultivars were tolerant to high levels of metal pollution in field conditions, with yields similar to that obtained on uncontaminated sites. Neither of the cultivars changed the metal mobility of the soil and both exhibited a metal-excluder behavior. Nevertheless, Cd concentration in the aboveground part of Trudan HL, and of Biomass 133 to a lesser extent, could restrict their use in some valorization options. However, biogas production was possible with the produced biomass, indicating anaerobic digestion to be a possible valorization route for sorghum grown on contaminated sites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytotechnologies: Lessons from the Field on the Use of Plants to Improve Polluted Environments)
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13 pages, 574 KiB  
Article
Willows Used for Phytoremediation Increased Organic Contaminant Concentrations in Soil Surface
by Maxime Fortin Faubert, Dominic Desjardins, Mohamed Hijri and Michel Labrecque
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(7), 2979; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11072979 - 26 Mar 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3206
Abstract
The Salix genus includes shrub species that are widely used in phytoremediation and various other phytotechnologies due to their advantageous characteristics, such as a high evapotranspiration (ET) rate, in particular when cultivated in short rotation intensive culture (SRIC). Observations made in past field [...] Read more.
The Salix genus includes shrub species that are widely used in phytoremediation and various other phytotechnologies due to their advantageous characteristics, such as a high evapotranspiration (ET) rate, in particular when cultivated in short rotation intensive culture (SRIC). Observations made in past field studies suggest that ET and its impact on soil hydrology can also lead to increases in soil pollutant concentrations near shrubs. To investigate this, sections of a mature willow plantation (seven years old) were cut to eliminate transpiration (Cut treatment). Soil concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), aliphatic compounds C10–C50, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and five trace elements (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn) were compared between the Cut and the uncut plots (Salix miyabeana ‘SX61’). Over 24 months, the results clearly show that removal of the willow shrubs limited the contaminants’ increase in the soil surface, as observed for C10–C50 and of 10 PAHs under the Salix treatment. This finding strongly reinforces a hypothesis that SRIC of willows may facilitate the migration of contaminants towards their roots, thus increasing their concentration in the surrounding soil. Such a “pumping effect” in a high-density willow crop is a prominent characteristic specific to field studies that can lead to counterintuitive results. Although apparent increases of contaminant concentrations contradict the purification benefits usually pursued in phytoremediation, the possibility of active phytoextraction and rhizodegradation is not excluded. Moreover, increases of pollutant concentrations under shrubs following migration suggest that decreases would consequently occur at the source points. Some reflections on interpreting field work results are provided. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytotechnologies: Lessons from the Field on the Use of Plants to Improve Polluted Environments)
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18 pages, 7235 KiB  
Article
Modeling the Ecosystem Services Related to Phytoextraction: Carbon Sequestration Potential Using Willow and Poplar
by Francesco Riccioli, Werther Guidi Nissim, Matteo Masi, Emily Palm, Stefano Mancuso and Elisa Azzarello
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(22), 8011; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10228011 - 12 Nov 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2913
Abstract
Poplar and willow demonstrate great potential for the phytoextraction of trace elements (TEs) from soils. In most cases, these species are managed as short-rotation coppice, producing high woody biomass yields, which could provide a valuable contribution toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the [...] Read more.
Poplar and willow demonstrate great potential for the phytoextraction of trace elements (TEs) from soils. In most cases, these species are managed as short-rotation coppice, producing high woody biomass yields, which could provide a valuable contribution toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. In the current study, we compared the TE extraction and CO2 sequestration rates in a four-year field trial in Southern Italy of two arboreal species (willow and poplar). The results show that, once established in the study area, willow extracted more Cd and Cu and less Pb than poplar. The two species demonstrated the same average Ni and Zn extraction rates. Greater biomass yields in poplar suggest that this species was able to fix greater amounts of CO2 (28.7 Mg ha−1 yr−1) than willow (24.9 Mg ha−1 yr−1). We argue that the choice of the species to be used in phytoextraction should first be made considering the TE-specific affinity and phytoextraction rates. For TEs whose extraction rates were the same (i.e., Ni and Zn), poplar is to be preferred because of its ability to fix greater amounts of CO2 than willow. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytotechnologies: Lessons from the Field on the Use of Plants to Improve Polluted Environments)
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13 pages, 1932 KiB  
Article
Phytoremediation of Aluminum and Iron from Industrial Wastewater Using Ipomoea aquatica and Centella asiatica
by Marlia Mohd Hanafiah, Muhamad F. Zainuddin, Nurul Umairah Mohd Nizam, Azhar Abdul Halim and Akhtar Rasool
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(9), 3064; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10093064 - 28 Apr 2020
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 5275
Abstract
Heavy metals accumulation from industrial wastewater even at low concentrations can cause long term cumulative health effects. To overcome this problem, phytoremediation is an alternative method to treat industrial wastewater. In this study, Ipomoea aquatica and Centella asiatica were used as phytoremediation plants [...] Read more.
Heavy metals accumulation from industrial wastewater even at low concentrations can cause long term cumulative health effects. To overcome this problem, phytoremediation is an alternative method to treat industrial wastewater. In this study, Ipomoea aquatica and Centella asiatica were used as phytoremediation plants for removing aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe) from industrial wastewater. The results showed that the regression value (R2) for all metal concentrations (mg/L) over treatment day is positive and similar to R2 = 1. This result indicated that the metal concentration exhibits a good relationship for reflecting the decrease in the metal concentration with the proportion of treatment day. It was found that I. aquatica accumulates higher Al and Fe contents than C. asiatica. The translocation factor of both plants was found to be greater than 1, implying that both plants can accumulate and extract heavy metals from industrial wastewater. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytotechnologies: Lessons from the Field on the Use of Plants to Improve Polluted Environments)
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11 pages, 1641 KiB  
Article
Efficiency of Five Selected Aquatic Plants in Phytoremediation of Aquaculture Wastewater
by Nurul Umairah Mohd Nizam, Marlia Mohd Hanafiah, Izzati Mohd Noor and Hazwani Izzati Abd Karim
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(8), 2712; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10082712 - 14 Apr 2020
Cited by 74 | Viewed by 9504
Abstract
The lack of clean water sources, due to the presence of pollutants in water, is a major issue in many countries, including Malaysia. To overcome this problem, various methods have been introduced, including phytoremediation treatment. Therefore, this phytoremediation study examined the ability of [...] Read more.
The lack of clean water sources, due to the presence of pollutants in water, is a major issue in many countries, including Malaysia. To overcome this problem, various methods have been introduced, including phytoremediation treatment. Therefore, this phytoremediation study examined the ability of five aquatic plants—Centella asiatica, Ipomoea aquatica, Salvinia molesta, Eichhornia crassipes, and Pistia stratiotes—to remove three pollutants—total suspended solids (TSS), ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N), and phosphate—from aquaculture wastewater. Using wastewater samples, each containing 50 g of one of the plants, the pollutant levels were measured every two days for 14 days. The results showed a drastic decline in the concentration of pollutants, where C. asiatica was able to remove 98% of NH3-N, 90% of TSS, and 64% of phosphate, while I. aquatica showed the potential to eliminate up to 73% of TSS and NH3-N, and 50% of phosphate. E. crassipes drastically removed 98% of phosphate, 96% of TSS, and 74% of NH3-N, while P. stratiotes was able to eliminate 98% of TSS, 78% of NH3-N, and 89% of phosphate. S. molesta was efficient in removing 89.3% of TSS and 88.6% of phosphate, but only removed 63.9% of NH3-N. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytotechnologies: Lessons from the Field on the Use of Plants to Improve Polluted Environments)
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Review

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35 pages, 447 KiB  
Review
Coupling Plant Biomass Derived from Phytoremediation of Potential Toxic-Metal-Polluted Soils to Bioenergy Production and High-Value by-Products—A Review
by Vázquez-Núñez Edgar, Fernández-Luqueño Fabián, Peña-Castro Julián Mario and Vera-Reyes Ileana
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(7), 2982; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11072982 - 26 Mar 2021
Cited by 35 | Viewed by 4242
Abstract
Phytoremediation is an attractive strategy for cleaning soils polluted with a wide spectrum of organic and inorganic toxic compounds. Among these pollutants, heavy metals have attracted global attention due to their negative effects on human health and terrestrial ecosystems. As a result of [...] Read more.
Phytoremediation is an attractive strategy for cleaning soils polluted with a wide spectrum of organic and inorganic toxic compounds. Among these pollutants, heavy metals have attracted global attention due to their negative effects on human health and terrestrial ecosystems. As a result of this, numerous studies have been carried out to elucidate the mechanisms involved in removal processes. These studies have employed many plant species that might be used for phytoremediation and the obtention of end bioproducts such as biofuels and biogas useful in combustion and heating. Phytotechnologies represent an attractive segment that is increasingly gaining attention worldwide due to their versatility, economic profitability, and environmental co-benefits such as erosion control and soil quality and functionality improvement. In this review, the process of valorizing biomass from phytoremediation is described; in addition, relevant experiments where polluted biomass is used as feedstock or bioenergy is produced via thermo- and biochemical conversion are analyzed. Besides, pretreatments of biomass to increase yields and treatments to control the transfer of metals to the environment are also mentioned. Finally, aspects related to the feasibility, benefits, risks, and gaps of converting toxic-metal-polluted biomass are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phytotechnologies: Lessons from the Field on the Use of Plants to Improve Polluted Environments)
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