Phytoextraction of Trace Metals: Principles and Applications - Environmental Sustainability: Role of Green Technologies - page 214

mental sustainability of phytomining and needs
to be addressed in future studies.

References

Abrahamson LP, Robison DJ, Volk TA, White EH,
Neuhauser EF, Benjamin WH, Peterson JM (1998)
Sustainability and environmental issues associated
with willow bioenergy development in New York
(U.S.A.). Biomass Bioenergy 15:17-22
Anderson CWN, Brooks RR, Chiarucci A, LaCoste CJ,
Leblanc M, Robinson BH, Simcock R, Stewart RB
(1999) Phytomining for nickel, thallium and gold. J
Geochem Explor 67:407-415
Baker AJM (1981) Accumulators and excluders -strate-
gies in the response of plants to heavy metals. J Plant
Nutr 3:643-654
Bañuelos GS (2006) Phyto-products may be essential for
sustainability and implementation of phytoremedia-
tion. Environ Pollut 144:19-23
Bañuelos G (2009) Phytoremediation of selenium con-
taminated soil and water produces biofortifi ed prod-
ucts and new agricultural bioproducts. In: Bañuelos G,
Lin ZQ (eds) Biofortifi cation and development of new
agricultural products. CRC Press, Boca Raton,
pp 57-70
Bañuelos GS, Hanson BD (2010) Use of selenium-
enriched mustard and canola seed meals as potential
bioherbicides and green fertilizer in strawberry pro-
duction. Hortic Sci 45:1567-1572
Bañuelos GS, Stushnoff C, Walse SS, Zuber T, Yang SI,
Pickering IJ, Freeman JL (2012) Biofortifi ed, sele-
nium enriched, fruit and cladode from three Opuntia
cactus pear cultivars grown on agricultural drainage
sediment for use in nutraceutical foods. Food Chem
135:9-16
Boyd RS (2007) The defense hypothesis of elemental
hyperaccumulation: status, challenges and new direc-
tions. Plant Soil 293:153-176
Broadhurst CL, Chaney RL, Angle JS, Erbe EF, Maugel
TK (2004) Nickel localization and response to increas-
ing Ni soil levels in leaves of the Ni hyperaccumulator
Alyssum murale . Plant Soil 265:225-242
Broadhurst CL, Tappero RV, Maugel TK, Erbe EF, Sparks
DL, Chaney RL (2009) Interaction of nickel and man-
ganese in accumulation and localization in leaves of
the Ni hyperaccumulators Alyssum murale

5 Conclusions

The study and development of phytotechnologies
in the past 30 years have produced important
advances in understanding fundamental aspects
of physiology, ecology, and agronomy of hyper-
accumulator plants and biogeochemistry and
ecotoxicology of TEs. However, the application
of the phytoextraction technology to real-world
situations has been deterred by the lack of under-
standing that the complexity of biological sys-
tems, which are put to 'work' to provide a service
to humans, can hardly fi t the constraints of mar-
ket economy (i.e. time effi ciency and high reve-
nues). As discussed above, the main constraints
to the commercialisation of phytotechnologies
and in particular phytoextraction are the time
needed to clean up the soil and the costs associ-
ated with production and disposal of biomass.
A more interdisciplinary approach is needed
to understand the multi-facets of introducing a
designed biological system, made of specialised
plants and trees, into an area of land that has been
environmentally damaged. Studies on the eco-
logical assessment, environmental sustainability,
socio-economic aspects of rural development and
improvement of local economies, and life cycle
assessment are very important and need to be
performed in any revegetation and phytoextrac-
tion plan. A complete analysis of the direct and
indirect costs and benefi ts of the application of
phytotechnologies is very important to gain a
deeper understanding of the complexity of such a
system. Consequently, the cost/benefi t analyses
of phytotechnologies will not only rely on prin-
ciples of market economy (i.e. time effi ciency
and high revenues) but also on indirect environ-
mental and socio-economic benefi ts to society.
When future studies are able to provide a descrip-
tion of the multi-facets of phytotechnologies, a
stronger support will be gained from local com-
munities and the public at large, which will then
trigger government support and fi nancial aid.

and

Alyssum corsicum . Plant Soil 314:35-48
Brooks RR (1987) Serpentine and its vegetation. A multi-
disciplinary approach. Dioscorides Press, Portland
Brooks RR, Lee J, Reeves RD, Jaffré T (1977) Detection
of nickeliferous rocks by analysis of herbarium speci-
mens of indicator plants. J Geochem Explor 7:49-57
Centofanti T, Siebecker MG, Chaney RL, Davis AP,
Sparks DL (2012) Hyperaccumulation of nickel by
Alyssum corsicum is related to solubility of Ni mineral
species. Plant Soil 359:71-83
Chaney RL (1983) Plant uptake of inorganic waste
constituents. In: Parr JF, Marsh JMK (eds) Land treat-
ment of hazardous wastes. Noyes Data Corp, Park Ridge