Vetiver Grass (Chrysopogon zizanoides L.): A Hyper-Accumulator Crop for Bioremediation of Unconventional Water

The increase of the global population and the requirement of food production and agricultural development, combined with a lack of water resources, have led to human attention being drawn to unconventional water sources, including saline water and wastewater. Most unconventional water treatment methods are not cost-effective; however, researchers have become interested in the phytoremediation method due to its cost-efficient and eco-friendly removal of many pollutants in recent years. Research showed that due to its unique characteristics, vetiver grass can be useful in phytoremediation. In the current review, research on vetiver-based phytoremediation of unconventional water, especially wastewater, was reviewed. The vetiver-reduced contaminants in wastewater can be related to the interactions between (1) the root-released oxygen into the rhizosphere; (2) the root-based uptake of nutrients from the wastewater; (3) the existence of an appropriate surface area for the attached microbial growth; as well as (4) the root-exuded organic carbon.

Automated summary

The increase in global population and the demand for food production and agricultural development, along with scarce water resources, has led to the exploration of unconventional water sources, such as saline water and wastewater. While most unconventional water treatment methods are not cost-effective, the phytoremediation method has gained attention for its cost-efficient and eco-friendly removal of pollutants. Research has shown that vetiver grass, due to its unique characteristics, can be beneficial in phytoremediation. This review focuses on research on vetiver-based phytoremediation of unconventional water, specifically wastewater.