Mitigation of emerging pollutants by plants

Low cost, sustainable technologies for addressing pollution of waters with trace concentrations of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are needed. Plant-based ecosystems for wastewater treatment are low-cost, effective technologies with the potential to address PPCPs. This abstract presents recent research examining the phytoremediation of PPCPs in both aquatic and terrestrial systems and discusses potential implications of phytoremediation of PPCPs. Research indicates that duckweed plants can stimulate microbial degradation of ibuprofen, sorb and uptake fluoxetine, and indirectly affect the fate of triclosan. Additionally, research indicates that food crops phytoaccumulate antimicrobials present in biosolids. The implications of these processes include mitigation of ecotoxicological risk from antimicrobial contamination of surface waters and soils with minimal risk to humans from consumption of phytoaccumulated antimicrobials. Additionally, plants may serve as a long-term reservoir for PPCPs in the environment. © IWA Publishing 2011.