The phytotechnologies for water and soil remediation

Phytotechnologies are restoration techniques for the treatment of contaminants such as heavy metals, radioactive elements and organic compounds, in groundwater, freshwaters and agricultural/civil/industrial wastewaters. These technologies are valuable alternatives to conventional treatment systems, thanks to the low costs and positive externalities linked to their application (landscape, biodiversity, ecological functionality, CO2 absorption). The phytotechnologies applied to water and soil treatment are based on a set of biological, physical and chemical processes leading to the absorption and/or the degradation of the contaminants, both by the plants and the associated microorganisms of the rhizosphere (soil volume influenced by the roots). The goal of the "phyto"-interventions can be the containment and/or the recovery of the contaminated site. The phytotechnological approach includes a wide range of techniques that can be applied in different contexts; in some cases, it can also act on co-presence of different types of pollutants. In this section, the legal and management issues related to the application of phytotechnologies will be discussed and the technical-scientific aspects will be described jointly with the presentation of some case studies.