A. Taouda, Y. Miyah, M. Benjelloun, N. El Messaoudi, S. Lairini
{"title":"Integrated aquatic phytoremediation systems for multicontaminant water treatment: mechanisms, biodiversity, and industrial valorization","authors":"A. Taouda, Y. Miyah, M. Benjelloun, N. El Messaoudi, S. Lairini","doi":"10.1007/s13762-026-07440-6","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Aquatic pollution increasingly involves complex mixtures of heavy metals (HM), organic matters (OM) such as pesticides, radionuclides, dyes, antibiotics, or industrial discharges such as landfill leachates, and tannery-derived contaminants, requiring treatment strategies capable of addressing multiple pollutant classes while minimizing environmental impacts. This review critically examines integrated aquatic phytoremediation systems by linking aquatic plant (AP) biodiversity and functional typology with contaminant-removal mechanisms, practical treatment configurations, harvested-biomass management, industrial valorization and optimization. The reviewed evidence shows that floating, emergent, and submerged APs can remove diverse contaminants through complementary processes, including phytoaccumulation, phytoextraction, rhizofiltration, phytostabilization, phytodegradation, rhizodegradation, phytotransformation, and phytovolatilization. Treatment performance is strongly governed by plant species and community composition, root–microorganism interactions, pollutant characteristics, loading conditions, pH, temperature, and hydraulic conditions. Beyond remediation, harvested aquatic biomass can support circular-economy pathways through bioenergy production, nutrient recovery, fertilizers, biomaterials, cellulose, and biochemical extraction, although contaminated biomass requires rigorous risk assessment and controlled post-harvest management. Major knowledge gaps remain in the standardization of performance metrics, long-term field validation, multicontaminant interactions, seasonal and climatic resilience, safe biomass valorization, and scale-up from laboratory studies to operational systems. Hybrid and polyculture systems offer opportunities for complementary pollutant removal but require improved understanding of interspecific competition and ecological compatibility. Future research should therefore prioritize standardized multicontaminant datasets, ecologically optimized plant assemblages, continuous sensor-based monitoring, predictive modelling, and artificial intelligence-assisted control to enable adaptive, scalable, and resource-efficient aquatic phytoremediation systems.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3>\n<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":589,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology","volume":"23 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4000,"publicationDate":"2026-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13762-026-07440-6","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Aquatic pollution increasingly involves complex mixtures of heavy metals (HM), organic matters (OM) such as pesticides, radionuclides, dyes, antibiotics, or industrial discharges such as landfill leachates, and tannery-derived contaminants, requiring treatment strategies capable of addressing multiple pollutant classes while minimizing environmental impacts. This review critically examines integrated aquatic phytoremediation systems by linking aquatic plant (AP) biodiversity and functional typology with contaminant-removal mechanisms, practical treatment configurations, harvested-biomass management, industrial valorization and optimization. The reviewed evidence shows that floating, emergent, and submerged APs can remove diverse contaminants through complementary processes, including phytoaccumulation, phytoextraction, rhizofiltration, phytostabilization, phytodegradation, rhizodegradation, phytotransformation, and phytovolatilization. Treatment performance is strongly governed by plant species and community composition, root–microorganism interactions, pollutant characteristics, loading conditions, pH, temperature, and hydraulic conditions. Beyond remediation, harvested aquatic biomass can support circular-economy pathways through bioenergy production, nutrient recovery, fertilizers, biomaterials, cellulose, and biochemical extraction, although contaminated biomass requires rigorous risk assessment and controlled post-harvest management. Major knowledge gaps remain in the standardization of performance metrics, long-term field validation, multicontaminant interactions, seasonal and climatic resilience, safe biomass valorization, and scale-up from laboratory studies to operational systems. Hybrid and polyculture systems offer opportunities for complementary pollutant removal but require improved understanding of interspecific competition and ecological compatibility. Future research should therefore prioritize standardized multicontaminant datasets, ecologically optimized plant assemblages, continuous sensor-based monitoring, predictive modelling, and artificial intelligence-assisted control to enable adaptive, scalable, and resource-efficient aquatic phytoremediation systems.
期刊介绍:
International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology (IJEST) is an international scholarly refereed research journal which aims to promote the theory and practice of environmental science and technology, innovation, engineering and management.
A broad outline of the journal''s scope includes: peer reviewed original research articles, case and technical reports, reviews and analyses papers, short communications and notes to the editor, in interdisciplinary information on the practice and status of research in environmental science and technology, both natural and man made.
The main aspects of research areas include, but are not exclusive to; environmental chemistry and biology, environments pollution control and abatement technology, transport and fate of pollutants in the environment, concentrations and dispersion of wastes in air, water, and soil, point and non-point sources pollution, heavy metals and organic compounds in the environment, atmospheric pollutants and trace gases, solid and hazardous waste management; soil biodegradation and bioremediation of contaminated sites; environmental impact assessment, industrial ecology, ecological and human risk assessment; improved energy management and auditing efficiency and environmental standards and criteria.