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Abstract

Groundwater contamination is a problem facing many if not all nations. Most common engineering solutions are expensive and require dedicated personnel to set up and maintain. Phytoremediation offers a low cost, low technology approach to remediate groundwater. Phytoremediation has been shown to be affective for a variety of contaminants, with plants capable of degrading the chemicals to non-toxic metabolites. Ways are being developed to assist plants in reaching deep aquifer waters beyond the root zones of trees. Plant are being examined to determine the genes involved in the metabolism of the contaminants, as well as genetic engineering of plants for enhanced capabilities. Plant associated microbes are also being explored as a way to improve phytoremediation capabilities.

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Newman, L. (2010). Phytoremediation of Contaminated Groundwater. In: Kulakow, P.A., Pidlisnyuk, V.V. (eds) Application of Phytotechnologies for Cleanup of Industrial, Agricultural, and Wastewater Contamination. NATO Science for Peace and Security Series C: Environmental Security. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3592-9_12

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