2026-10-11T20:21:51Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/34031342 2026-09-30T10:35:32Z category_21 category_272 category_873 category_39 category_734 category_106 category_133 portal_87 item_type_6 month_year_09_2026

Climate-resilient wastewater phytoremediation for pollutant removal and resource recovery Abhilasha Shourie (25143155) Anita Girdhar (25143158) Somya Asthana (25143161) Aneta Kowalska (25143164) Nancy Thakur (25143167) Yogita Sharma (523130) Biotechnology Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified Ecology Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified Science Policy Plant Biology Constructed wetlands resource recovery climate resilience <p>Wastewater treatment plants use technologies that are designed only for contaminant degradation and do not focus on resource recovery, defying the circular economy approach. Phytoremediation is an eco-friendly and sustainable technology that is cost-effective and low on energy consumption. It utilizes the innate ability of plants to sequester pollutants and assimilate them in their biomass. This technique has long been integrated with constructed wetland systems to treat wastewater and has been successful in the natural elimination of pollutants. However, the disposal of post-phytoremediation biomass into the environment has always been a challenge. Reusing plant biomass for resource recovery could be a sustainable way to completely recycle the resources and create value from the wastewater while using a phytoremediation approach. This review critically emphasizes the potential of phytoremediation for the removal of pollutants from wastewater and underscores the worth of plant biomass for resource recovery after phytoremediation. The mechanisms of phytoremediation have been discussed, and applications of plant and associated microbial diversity have been summarized. The phytoremediation modules and plant diversity used in constructed wetlands have been discussed, and the prospects of utilizing plants for recovery of valuable products, biomass, and energy have been explored.</p> <p>This review proposes to consider phytoremediation as an element linking pollution removal and resource recovery with the paradigm of a climate-resilient circular bioeconomy. Beyond discussing the foundational mechanisms—such as phytoextraction, rhizofiltration, and phytovolatilization and phytotransformation, this article investigates the synergistic role of rhizospheric microbes in enhancing pollutant degradation. A critical analysis is provided on the selection criteria of plants suitable for phytoremediation based on their biomass production, stress-tolerance and pollutant accumulation capacity giving insights into their utility in constructed wetlands. The review article also emphasizes the valorization of post-phytoremediation biomass by exploring phytomining for precious metals and the conversion of contaminated plant biomass into biochar, biofuels, and biocomposites, addressing the issue of ‘secondary pollution’ arising from its disposal. dilemma that often hinders phytoremediation adoption.</p> 2026-09-30T10:35:32Z Text Journal contribution 10.6084/m9.figshare.34031342.v1 https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Climate-resilient_wastewater_phytoremediation_for_pollutant_removal_and_resource_recovery/34031342 CC BY 4.0