Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 21, 2026
08:49
Vegetated Treatment Systems for Removing Contaminants Associated with Surface Water Toxicity in Agriculture and Urban Runoff
Published on: May 15, 2017
11.5K
Macrophytes and Emerging Contaminants: Insights on Removal and Toxicological Responses
Shruti Singh1, Rajneesh Singh1, Brijesh K Yadav1
1Department of Hydrology, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India.
Bioresource Technology
|April 19, 2026
Summary
Phytoremediation using macrophytes effectively removes emerging contaminants (ECs). However, ECs can harm plants, reducing their long-term wastewater treatment capacity and impacting ecosystems.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Plant Biology
- Ecotoxicology
Background:
- Phytoremediation is a sustainable wastewater treatment method utilizing macrophytes.
- Existing research often overlooks macrophytes' independent role and physiological costs in contaminant removal.
- Emerging contaminants (ECs) like microplastics and pharmaceuticals pose increasing risks to aquatic ecosystems and plant health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze how macrophytes independently remove ECs.
- To evaluate the toxicological effects of ECs on macrophyte vitality.
- To establish a framework for sustainable nature-based treatment systems.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature review on macrophyte-EC interactions.
- Analysis of toxicological repercussions and molecular responses in macrophytes.
- Evaluation of size-dependent nanoplastic toxicity and effects of chemical mixtures.
Main Results:
- Macrophytes independently remove ECs, but face toxicological challenges.
- ECs induce oxidative stress, membrane damage, and transcriptomic shifts, reducing remediation capacity.
- Nanoplastics (100 nm) disrupt cellular functions and nitrogen cycling; chemical mixtures collapse antioxidant defenses.
Conclusions:
- A critical toxicity-removal feedback loop exists, impacting macrophyte health and function.
- Understanding molecular toxicology is crucial for selecting appropriate macrophyte species.
- This review provides a framework for managing nature-based systems against complex chemical pollution.
Related Concept Videos
00:46Bioremediation
23.1K
Bioremediation is the use of prokaryotes, fungi, or plants to remove pollutants from the environment. This process has been used to remove harmful toxins in groundwater as a byproduct of agricultural run-off and also to clean up oil spills.
23.1K
01:26Microbial Bioremediation of Hydrocarbons
112
Bioremediation is an environmentally sustainable process that employs living organisms—primarily microorganisms—to degrade or neutralize pollutants from contaminated environments. In oil spills and hydrocarbon pollution, bioremediation involves the use of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria to transform toxic compounds into less harmful substances. This approach leverages natural microbial metabolic processes and is considered both cost-effective and ecologically favorable compared to...
112
01:28Microbial Bioremediation of Pesticides
68
Pesticides often feature structurally complex chemical architectures, incorporating halogen groups and multiple aromatic rings. These characteristics confer high chemical stability, rendering many pesticides resistant to natural degradation processes. This resistance poses significant environmental concerns, as persistent pesticide residues can accumulate in ecosystems and affect non-target organisms.Despite the inherent stability of many pesticides, certain microorganisms possess the metabolic...
68
01:36Types of Toxins
4.1K
Humans continually engage with an environment rich in potentially harmful chemicals. These are introduced to our bodies through inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact. These chemicals exist in various forms, such as air and environmental pollutants, agricultural chemicals, organic solvents, and heavy metals.
Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...
Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...
4.1K
01:26Toxic Reactions: Overview
4.1K
When toxic substances penetrate the human body, they disseminate to various tissues, undergoing metabolic changes. This process yields reactive metabolites that may covalently bind with specific target molecules, resulting in toxicity.
Toxicity falls into two primary categories: local and systemic.
Local toxicity appears at the exposure site, such as protein denaturation caused by caustic substances.
In contrast, systemic toxicity requires the toxic agent's absorption and distribution,...
Toxicity falls into two primary categories: local and systemic.
Local toxicity appears at the exposure site, such as protein denaturation caused by caustic substances.
In contrast, systemic toxicity requires the toxic agent's absorption and distribution,...
4.1K
01:25Microbial Bioremediation of Uranium
87
Microorganisms play a critical role in the transformation and immobilization of uranium in contaminated environments through four main pathways: bioreduction, biosorption, bioaccumulation, and biomineralization. These mechanisms reduce uranium’s toxicity and prevent its migration through groundwater systems, offering sustainable approaches for in situ bioremediation.Bioreduction of UraniumBioreduction is driven by anaerobic bacteria such as certain strains of Geobacter and Shewanella,...
87