Efficient plant species for the phytoremediation of coppercontaminated soils
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5902/2179460X92979Keywords:
Environmental degradation, Environment impacts, EnvironmentAbstract
This study aimed to identify plant species and their physiological traits relevant to the ancient technique of soil remediation known as phytoremediation, applied to copper-contaminated soils. Publications from 2000 to 2025 were reviewed using the English and Portuguese terms ‘copper,’ ‘phytoremediation,’ ‘copper phytoremediation,’ ‘fitorremediação de cobre,’ and ‘contaminação por cobre.’ The search was conducted across major scientific databases, including the CAPES Periodicals Portal, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Articles were filtered for those addressing techniques and species employed in the phytoremediation of copper-contaminated areas during the study period. The review identified 51 plant species from 22 families, including 14 natives to Brazil, with potential for rehabilitating degraded soils. Species in the family Fabaceae demonstrated high efficiency in copper accumulation within plant tissues, while Poaceae, Asteraceae, and Brassicaceae also exhibited strong phytoremediation potential. The key factors contributing to successful phytoremediation included the ability of plants to establish and grow in contaminated soils, resistance to salinity, and effective translocation of copper from roots to shoots, concentrating the metal in aerial tissues.
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