Review article: Comparative Advantage of Vetiver Grass for the Phytoremediation of Heavy Metal Contaminants

Abstract

Application of plants for the rehabilitation of heavy metal contaminated areas has been studied in different countries. It is generally environmentally friendly and relatively cost effective; however, its efficiency is reported to depend on majorly on plant factors i.e. their response to conditions of contaminated area and their growth characteristics. Hence, the objective of this review is to investigate the efficiency of vetiver grass for the remediation of selected heavy metals compared to other selected plant species with respect to factors that are limiting their phytoremediation efficiency. Phytoremediation Studies conducted in field experiment and pot experiments in green house or open field were reviewed.  Due to its high biomass production and tolerance to low PH and high heavy metal concentration vetiver was found to have higher phytoremediation efficiency compared to some hyperaccumulators and non-hyperaccumulators plants.

Keywords: Phytoremediation, Vetiver, Heavy metals