Phytoremediation is a promising approach to ameliorate some environmental compartments. There are plants, called iperaccumulators, that are indicators of contaminated soils. Phytoremediation may be effectively used to treat polluted water (wetland systems for water pollution control). Food crops have not to be used for phytoremediation purposes because of obvious possible health implications. The biomass can be used for energy production.

Hello. In some cases, food crops are also used. Sunflower in Chernobyl, Brassica juncea in various areas... As I have already mentioned in a discussion on similar topic, phytoremediation and biofortification are the two sides of the same coin.

@Renata, what do you mean by Biofortification? Can you shed more light?

Hello. Biofortification is the improvement of crops in terms of the accumulation of some nutrients, or phytochemicals. See e.g. http://jn.nutrition.org/content/136/4/1064.full.

Best regards :)

Phytoremediation was used in the southwest USA preferably Southern California near the desert near the mountains, selenium was the problems with the crops there so farmers and engineers planted saw grass which its root absorbed the selenium making the crops safer.

Data on plant-mediated indoor air quality come from experiments conducted by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). As NASA researchers explored the possibilities of longterm

space habitation, it became evident that the air in a tightly sealed space capsule would quickly become contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other chemicals released by the materials used to manufacture the capsule interior. [Wolverton BC, et al. Interior Landscape Plants for Indoor Air Pollution Abatement. Final Report––September 15, 1989. Stennis Space Center, MS:Science and Technology Laboratory, John C. Stennis Space Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (1989). Available: http://tinyurl.com/39cz3ju [accessed 7 Sep 2011] and http://www.daa.cnr.it/index.php/it/news/826-presentazioni-conferenza-qinquinamento-indoorq

Best regards Annamaria de Martino

In addition to Annamaria's information on air, I know of research regarding soils. What media and contaminants are you interested in?

Some researchers are doing phytogenetic studies to understand how plants take up metals, and their goal is to reduce metal uptake for food-source plants, and increase metal uptake for phytoremediation. Also, some plants can take up contaminants and store them in inedible parts of the plants. Others are studying native plants at specific locations that are not food-source plants. The benefit with that approach is that no one would have to tend the "garden." You could plant them and they maintain themselves.

Here is a recent review on phytoremediation in soils: http://www.solid-earth.net/5/65/2014/se-5-65-2014.html.

Phytoremediation of arsenic specifically: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19303764

UArizona is doing work on phytostabilization--the plants bind up contaminants in the soil so they don't spread through dust (http://superfund.pharmacy.arizona.edu/projects/current_projects/phytostablization).  

Example of genetic analysis to reduce arsenic uptake in plants: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23700971

Colocasia esculenta or taro, is one example of a food crop exhibiting phytoremediation potential, as it is a metal hyperaccumulator. However, this particular species has not been actively used for phytoremediation which indicates the possibility of people consuming these plants without being aware of its high heavy metal content. Along with the lack of awareness regarding this and other plants with phytoremediating ability, there also exists the problem of hyperaccumulator plants dying before being harvested, and simply returning the heavy metals taken up back to the environment. 

I agree with Renata, that biofortification is also one benefit that comes out of plants that phytoremediate. Another would be the process of phytomining, or harvesting ores via plants as an alternative to conventional mining methods. Kind regards

Don't forget Paul Stamets and mycoremediation.  It's great for dioxins as well as metals and radioisotopes.  Also, Jerry Brunetti was doing some work with primitive bacteria in cleaning water.  Some of his work may be found at ACRES USA, or perhaps at Agri Dynamics.