Resources: Research Science and Projects

Growing energy crops on contaminated land for biofuelds and soil remediation.

Phyto-management is a phytotechnology, arising from phytoremediation, based on the use of plants (trees, shrubs, herbaceous) to control the risk associated with the presence of contaminants in degraded sites, while: (i) they are generated products (eg, wood, resin, essential oils, bioenergy, ecocatalysts) from harvested biomass; and (ii) the supply of ecosystem services is enhanced (e.g., C sequestration, erosion control, creation of habitats).

Phy2SUDOE aims to value sites contaminated with metals-metalloids and / or organic compounds in the SUDOE region through the use of phyto-management strategies aimed at the generation of ecosystem products and services in these sites, while minimizing the environmental impact of pollutants. could cause. Likewise, this project aims to implement strategies for the conservation of endemic biodiversity typical of some contaminated sites (e.g., metallurgical flora, plant growth-promoting bacteria, etc.) due to their intrinsic and utilitarian value (e.g., biotechnological applications).

This European collaboration examines Gentle Remediation Options (GRO) that include various and in general plant-based approaches to remediate trace element contaminated soils at low cost and without significant negative effects for the environment. Although GRO comprise very innovative and efficient technologies, they are still not widely used for practical site solutions due to several reasons of hindrance. The Greenland Project will solve the remaining problems and bring GRO (phytoremediation, in situ stabilisation) into practical application. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed this site to summarize timely information about selected applications of phytotechnology. The project profiles contain information about relevant site background, the types of contaminants treated, the type of vegetation used, the mechanisms of phytotechnology, planting date, project size, location, cost, monitoring and performance results, and points of contact and references. This site can be used as a networking tool to identify past solutions and lessons learned that would apply to new sites with similar contaminants and climate. As of August 2011, the website included information on 180 projects. As further information is obtained, EPA plans to update and expand this site with new project profiles and updated information about existing profiles. 

The Action Team’s mission is to bring together technological, environmental, and regulatory interests to develop and demonstrate phytoremediation technologies that can clean up soils and ground water contaminated with organics, and to achieve regulatory and public acceptance of these technologies.

RTDF was established as a public-private partnership in 1992 after industry approached the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to identify what they could do together to develop and improve the environmental technologies needed to address their mutual cleanup problems in the safest, most cost-effective manner. RTDF undertakes research, development, demonstration, and evaluation efforts focused on finding innovative solutions to high priority problems. No new activity has occurred with this Forum since 2006, but the website products will remain available until at least 2015.

Kansas State University (KSU) leads this fourteen-institution consortium. The center was established in 1989 to conduct research pertaining to hazardous substances produced through agriculture, forestry, mining, mineral processing, and other activities. After the grant period ended in 2003, new activities were shifted to other centers. However, relevant past projects can still be reviewed under the Research menu. The Phytoremediation menu is by special permission only. 

This organization carries out basic and applied research, technology transfer, and training. Activities are conducted regionally by five multi-university centers, which focus on different aspects of hazardous substance management. These centers bring together varied disciplines to collaborate on integrated research projects, which involve practical problems of hazardous substance management as well as long-term, exploratory research.

This institution in Germany engages in a wide variety of environmental research, including contaminated sites and microbial interactions. This link takes you straight to the Constructed Treatment Wetlands projects, but you may also wish to browse the “Service” menu, then the library of projects A-Z.