Enhancing Phytoremediation to Improve It's Capabilities

New Jersey is home to the highest Superfund sites in the country, which means there is a high interest in remediation. There are many routes one can go in terms of waste and pollution removal from a site. One way, that is more environmentally friendly and less costly is through phytoremediation, the removal of pollutants and waste through plants. However, most pollutant-heavy sites don’t use phytoremediation due to its limitations. One of the setbacks for phytoremediation is its intake limitations of pollutant types, how much absorption, as well as its treatment range. With biotechnology, we are seeing a change in the potential that phytoremediation has in how much and how far it can absorb harmful chemicals such as Trichloroethylene. Trichloroethylene, otherwise known as TCE, has been categorized as carcinogenic and is one of the most common pollutants in superfund sites. A study conducted in Washington has developed transgenic poplars with the capability of higher removal rates of TCE. Through an overexpression of Cytochrome P450 2E1, these plants are now able to metabolize pollutants at increased rates. Not only are these plants capable of chemical and waste removal through hydroponic solutions, but they also proved effective in pulling gaseous TCE from the air. If these results proved positive and effective in the field, then there may be a more cost-efficient and less intrusive way to remediate polluted land. However, with certain regulations on genetically modified plants being introduced into the field, this proves a setback in maximizing the potential of phytoremediation. Right now, there is a known limitation of pollutant absorption through plants, but with the right biotechnology can phytoremediation be a solution to larger-scale waste removal? Based on the lab results of this study, leads me to believe that phytoremediation could be efficient and competitive in removing organic and inorganic waste in the field with the proper investment and research.