Phytoremediation Phytoremediation describes the treatment of environmental problems through the use of plants that mitigate the environmental

problem without the need to excavate the contaminant material and dispose of it elsewhere. This uses the plant to remediate the environment biologically within bioremediation. This is the entire sum of the processes and removes certain chemicals and pollutants from the environment. Phytostabilization The use of certain plant species to immobilize contaminants in the soil and groundwater through absorption and accumulation by roots, adsorption onto roots, or precipitation within the root zone of plants. An example of how it removes the contaminants is by pulling them out of the soil so that they cannot travel any lower into the ground. Phytodegradation The process by which substances taken by a plant from its environment are broken down. An example of how this works is that they plant uses energy to separate the bonds in the contaminating molecules, and allows the plant to remove its harmful qualities by breaking it into pieces to harvest or expel. Phytoextraction A subprocess of phytoremediation in which plants remove dangerous elements or compounds from soil or water. This is the step of phytostabilization where the contaminants are taken into the plant and out of the soils/waters so they plant may break it down in phytodegradation.