SREL Reprint #2807

Phytodegradation of organic compounds

Lee A Newman1,2 and Charles M Reynolds3

1University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health, 800 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
2The Savannah River Ecology Laboratory Aiken, SC 29208, USA
3US Army Engineer Research Development Center, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory,
72 Lyme Road, Hanover, NH 03755-1290, USA

Abstract: The phytodegradation of organic compounds can take place inside the plant or within the rhizosphere of the plant. Many different compounds and classes of compounds can be removed from the environment by this method, including solvents in groundwater, petroleum and aromatic compounds in soils, and volatile compounds in the air. Although still a relatively new area of research, there are many laboratories studying the underlying science necessary for a wide range of applications for plant-based remediation of organic contaminants.

SREL Reprint #2807

Newman, L. A. and C. M. Reynolds. 2004. Phytodegradation of organic compounds. Current Opinion in Biotechnology 15:225-230.

This information was provided by the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (srel.uga.edu).