Talks and Workshops

Phytoremediation is an emerging technology that uses plant systems for environmental restoration. Phytoremediation encompasses many processes naturally available in plant systems, such as the use of:
1) Specialized hyperaccumulator plants to extract metals from soil and wastewater,
2) Phreatophyte trees with associated microbes and enzymes to capture and degrade
organic contaminants in groundwater,
3) Constructed wetlands for municipal and industrial wastewater treatment, as well as,
4) Trees for capture of atmospheric pollutants, including CO2 sequestration and NOx capture.

Phytoremediation is a natural, low-cost, solar-energy driven process that can be used in a variety of settings. This lecture will present the current state of development of phytoremediation technologies and discuss advantages and concerns about this new technology. The speaker will provide an overview of field applications in the international arena ranging from treatment of farm wastes to capture of mercury, arsenic and toxic organics from waters.