In recent years it has become clear that some environmental chemicals can cause risks to the developing embryo and fetus. Evaluating the developmental toxicity of environmentalchemicals is now a prominent public health concern. The suspected association between trichloroethylene (TCE) and congenital cardiacmalformations warrants special attention because TCE is a common drinking water contaminantthat is detected in water supplies throughout the U.S. and the world. There is a lot of concernabout the clean up of toxic pollutants from the environment. Traditional methods for cleaning upcontaminated sites such as dig and haul, pump and treat, soil venting, air sparging and others aregenerally harmful to habitats. Some methods strip the soil of vital nutrients and microorganisms,so nothing can grow on the site, even if it has been decontaminated. Typically these mechanicalmethods are also very expensive. Most of the remediation technologies that are currently in useare very expensive, relatively inefficient and generate a lot of waste, to be disposed of (Hamm,1982). Phytoremediation is a novel, efficient, environmentally friendly, low-cost technology,which uses plants and trees to clean up soil and water contaminated with heavy metals and/ororganic contaminants such as solvents, crude oil, polyaromatic hydrocarbons and other toxiccompounds from contaminated environments. This technology is useful for soil and waterremediation (Ackerman, 1996). Phytoremediation uses one basic concept: the plant takes the pollutant through the roots.The pollutant can be stored in the plant (phytoextraction), volatized by the plant(phytovolatization), metabolized by the plant (phytodegradation), or any combination of theabove. Phytoextraction is the uptake and storage of pollutants in the plants stem or leaves.Some plants, called hyperaccumulators, draw pollutants through the roots. After the pollutantsaccumulate in the stem and leaves the plants are ...
