Phytoremediation in New Zealand and Australia

Phytoremediation in New Zealand and Australia stemmed from pioneering work by Professor R. R. Brooks on plants that hyperaccumulate heavy metals. Although original work focused on the extraction of heavy metals from contaminated sites, successful phytoremediation now employs plants as biopumps to reduce contaminant mobility and enhance the in situ degredation of some pesticides. In the first years of the 21st century, phytoremediation became established in the commercial environment with the appearance of dedicated phytoremediation companies. Phytoremediation offers a low-cost means of maintaining Australasia’s “clean-green” image abroad. Use of this technology will increase because of increased pressure from regulators and future scientific achievements. In New Zealand, phytoremediation is used to improve degraded lands resulting from agricultural and silvicultural production, whereas in Australia its greatest potential is the remediation of mining-affected lands. Phytoremediation is most effective on lands where the clean-up cost of alternative technologies is greater than the land value. This reduces the importance of the longer time needed for phytoremediation. This chapter discusses, using case studies, the development of phytoremediation in Australia applied to a range of contaminated lands under various climatic conditions.