植物修复

植物修复利用植物的天然能力来修复受污染的环境。该过程涉及多个方面，依赖于几种不同的机制。植物提取（或植物累积）是指植物通过根系从土壤中吸收污染物，尤其是重金属，并将其转移到可收获的地上生物质（枝条和叶​​子）中。这些被称为超积累植物的植物随后可以被收获和处理，从而有效地将金属从场地中去除。植物降解是指通过植物酶将复杂的有机污染物分解成更简单、毒性更低的分子，这种分解过程既可以通过植物内部分解，也可以通过根系分泌物刺激根际微生物活动而进行。植物稳定化旨在降低土壤中污染物的迁移率和生物利用度。植物通过吸收污染物并将其沉淀到根系上，或通过改变土壤化学性质来固定污染物，从而防止其迁移到地下水或食物链中来实现这一点。

Another mechanism is phytovolatilization, where plants take up contaminants and release them into the atmosphere in a modified, less toxic form through transpiration. While effective for certain volatile compounds like mercury or selenium, this simply transfers the pollutant to another medium. The selection of appropriate plant species is critical and depends on the specific contaminants, climate, and soil conditions. Phytoremediation is considered an aesthetically pleasing, eco-friendly “Green” technology, but it is generally a slower process compared to conventional engineering methods and is limited by the depth of the plant roots.