Recent advances toward exploiting medicinal plants as phytoremediators

Abstract

Abstract Of the consequences of anthropogenic activities, contamination of the pedosphere and biosphere with hazardous heavy metal ions as a growing threat is jeopardizing the human health status through inserting into the food chain, which impairs environmental sustainability. Phytoremediation is one of the environmental friendly bioremediation methods utilized to remove heavy metal contaminants, and it is easy to use, cost-effective, and efficient. The critical part of phytoremediation is to single out the phytoremediator species that allows the removal of these elements from contaminated soils by accumulating heavy metals in aerial parts. Medicinal plants with phytoremediation capabilities owing to the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites in addition to distinctive morphological characteristics are eventually become the preferred choice for effective phytoremediation of heavy metals. In this chapter the main aim is to provide an update on recent studies on renown medicinal and aromatic herbs utilized for phytoremediation of polluted soils with heavy metals.