Epicontinental aquatic plants and their use in phytoremediation: A review

Abstract

Epicontinental aquatic ecosystems, which include lagoons, rivers, wetlands, and lakes, are crucial areas for the preservation of vital ecological processes and biodiversity. However, environmental quality has been severely affected by the increase in pollutants that come from urban, industrial and agricultural activities. Phytoremediation in this context emerges as a sustainable biotechnological strategy that uses plants with the ability to absorb, modify or immobilize heavy metals and other toxic substances through of mechanisms as phytoextraction, phytostabilization, rhizofiltration, phytovolatilization and phytodegradation. For example, the species as Typha latifolia, Lemna minor, Phragmites australis y Eichhornia crassipes are mainly used to remove excess nutrients. In addition, physiological, environmental and operational constraints that have an impact on its efficiency are analyzed, such as pH, pollutant concentration and final disposal of biomass. Overall, phytoremediation with native species is an effective and affordable method that is ecologically feasible for the restoration and sustainable management of epicontinental aquatic bodies that are contaminated. Therefore, the objective of this work is to know the species of epicontinental water plants that have been used in phytoremediation processes.