Since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, mankind has been introducing numerous hazardous compounds into the environment at an exponential rate. These hazardous pollutants consist of a variety of organic compounds and heavy metals, which pose serious risks to human health. The problem of environmental pollution has assumed an unprecedented proportion in many parts of the world. Many methods and processes of preventing, removing and correcting the negative effects of pollutants released into the environments exist, but their application for this purpose has either been poorly implemented or not at all, a situation that is worsening owing probably to claims of lack of virile regulatory bodies. The use of plants to reduce contaminant levels in soil is a cost-effective method of reducing the risk to human and ecosystem health posed by contaminated soil sites. The objective of this review is to discuss the different phytoremediation mechanisms and their potentials as remediation techniques that utilize the age long inherent abilities of living plants to remove pollutants from the environment but which are yet to become a commercially available technology in many parts of the world especially the developing countries.
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