Agro-improving method of phytoextracting heavy metal contaminated soil

Phytoextraction of heavy metal contaminated soils is a promising remediation technology. Till now, more than several hundreds of hyperaccumulators or non-hyperaccumulators which can be used to clean polluted soils with heavy metals have been reported. However, phytoextraction is still not extensively applied. Thus, some measurements should be taken to improve phytoremediation. This paper introduced the basic mechanisms of phytoextration, its main restrictive factors, its relationship with agricultural technology and some agricultural improvement methods. We suggested that unavailable heavy metal activation, crop breeding, seed-coating and felicitous utilization of fertilizer and water, as well as the use of two-phase planting may be important and indispensable paths for phytoextraction to be widely applied at a commercial level in the future. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.