Phytoremediation of metal contaminated sites using Australian native
vegetation
Supervisor:
Dr Gary Owens, Future Fellow – Mawson Institute, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide SA 5001, Australia
Phone: +61 8 8302 5043. Email: gary.owens@unisa.edu.au
Area: Environmental Science
Suitable for: PhD and Masters
Abstract:
Phytoremediation encompasses a range of different techniques, including, phytoextraction,
phytostabilization and rhizoremediation, all of which utilize vegetation to achieve in situ
remediation of contaminated land. Phytoremediation technology is based on the capacity of
the plants to remove, immobilise or render harmless metal contaminants in soil.
Phytoremediation techniques are attractive because they are publicly perceived as being a
"green and clean" technology when compared to the perceived "dirty and industrial"
remediation technologies such as soil washing and excavation and is one of the few
remediation technologies that aesthetically improve the landscape during remediation. Their
main disadvantage is that although relatively inexpensive they do not offer a quick fix solution
to contaminant problems as remediation below a specified level may require several years of
repeated cropping to obtain clean up goals.
At present commercial viability of phytoextraction technologies are limited by the ability of the
plants to hyperaccumulate metal(loids) to harvestable portions. The majority of
hyperaccumulator species identified to date are also specific to Europe or the USA and there is
no known species of Australian native vegetation known to hyperaccumulate metal(loids). In
particular the harsh Australian climate typically requires plants that are hardy, salt resistant
and utilize limited irrigation. Identification of indigenous hyperaccumulators will also
circumvent the problems associated with importing and widely cropping an introduced species
for use in Australia and will therefore speed the path to adoption.
The aims of this project are therefore to 1) identify and assess native (indigenous) plant
species growing in contaminated areas for their potential to hyperaccumulate metal(loid)s,
and 2) critically evaluate these species for their potential application as part of a commercial
phytoremediation technology.
Related references:
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E. Zabłudowska, J. Kowalska, Ł. Jedynak, S. Wojas, A. Skłodowska and D.M. Antosiewicz (2009) Search for
a plant for phytoremediation – What can we learn from field and hydroponic studies? Chemosphere,
77(3), 301-307.
M.N.V. Prasad, Helena Freitas, Stefan Fraenzle, Simone Wuenschmann and Bernd Markert (2010)
Knowledge explosion in phytotechnologies for environmental solutions, Environmental Pollution, 158, 18–
23.
Nicoletta Rascio and Flavia Navari-Izzo (2011) Heavy metal hyperaccumulating plants: How and why do
they do it? And what makes them so interesting? Plant Science 180, 169–181.
About Adelaide:
Adelaide is the capital of South Australia and offers a very high standard of living (top 6 in the
world according to “The Economist”), with great climate, food, wine, beautiful unspoiled
nature and beach environments, in an inexpensive setting.
The Mawson Institute (MI) has recently been established at the University of South Australia,
with strong support from the South Australian Government to research new manufacturing
technologies. Manufacturing is an important and substantial part of South Australia’s
economic base. The MI promotes a strategy based upon strong basic and applied research
that encourages scientific and technological innovation within the manufacturing sector.
Fundamental to this is the Institute’s multidisciplinary approach, building research teams in
concentrations that encompass a diverse range of disciplines, and collaboration with partners
from both academia and industry.
The institute is based in two new state-of-the-art buildings with outstanding research facilities
(see photo of the MM building).
For more information on this project please contact the supervisor.