USE OF PHYTOREMEDIATION AS A TREATMENT FOR THE RECOVERY OF DEGRADED AREAS

Abstract

Phytoremediation is a technique commonly used in the decontamination process of areas that has gained prominence in recent years because it is an efficient method applied in situ, due to its economic viability and because it is a technology that is less harmful to the environment. In view of the potential use of phytoremediation in Brazil due to favorable climatic conditions and expressive botanical biodiversity, the objective of the research is to present some characteristics and mechanisms of the technique and the species already used in Brazilian territory to remove different types of contaminants. For this, a bibliographic review was carried out that addresses the categories of phytoremediation, their advantages and disadvantages and works developed in the country. The results obtained demonstrate that despite the disadvantages, such as longer time to observe the effects of remediation compared to conventional techniques and the adaptation of species in different contaminated sites, phytoremediation is a promising technology due to the different genetic, morphological, physiological and anatomical structures that plants can use for environmental recovery as well as the possible association of two or more plant species to increase the efficiency of decontamination. Studies carried out in Brazil using several native plants focus on application in areas degraded by herbicides and contaminated by heavy metals; the results achieved have been satisfactory, showing the favorable use of this technique. It was also possible to verify that there is a need for greater scientific production in the phytoremediation area in the country to obtain more native species as potential remedial agents for different classes of contaminants.