Phytoremediation as a nature-based solution for air pollution mitigation: a review.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Plant Biology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Air pollution causes millions of premature deaths annually, with nearly all people exposed to unsafe levels.
• Conventional pollution control technologies are costly, energy-intensive, and generate waste.
• There is a critical need for sustainable and cost-effective air quality management solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and synthesize recent advances in phytoremediation for air quality management.
• To integrate mechanisms, plant traits, technological innovations, and socio-economic aspects of phytoremediation.
• To evaluate phytoremediation as a viable nature-based solution (NbS) for sustainable air quality.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of 156 peer-reviewed studies (2020-2025).
• Analysis of plant species, functional traits, and microbial interactions in pollutant mitigation.
• Evaluation of engineered systems like green walls and nanoparticle-assisted remediation.

Main Results:

• Specific tree species reduce PM2.5 by up to 25%; indoor plants lower VOCs by 30-44%.
• Hyperaccumulators and engineered systems show high efficiency in removing heavy metals (over 90%) and VOCs (72.5%).
• Nanoparticle-assisted systems achieve up to 99.58% cadmium removal in aqueous environments.

Conclusions:

• Phytoremediation is a scalable, low-cost nature-based solution for diverse air pollutants.
• Despite challenges like pollutant specificity and seasonal variability, recent innovations enhance its viability.
• Phytoremediation offers a sustainable pathway for global air quality improvement.