Phytoremediation: modeling plant uptake and contaminant transport in the soil–plant–atmosphere continuum

Phytoremediation is an emerging technology that uses plants and their associated rhizospheric microorganisms to remove, degrade, detoxify, or contain contaminants located in the soil, sediments, groundwater, surface water, and even the atmosphere. This study investigates phytoremediation of 1,4-dioxane from a contaminated sandy soil by a poplar cutting, which is associated with water flow in the soil as well as water movement and 1,4-dioxane translocation in the xylem and phloem systems. An existing one-dimensional mathematical model for coupled transport of water, heat, and solutes in the soil–plant–atmosphere continuum (CTSPAC) is modified for the purpose of this study. The model is calibrated with the laboratory experimental measurements prior to its applications. A simulation scenario is then performed to investigate phytoremediation of 1,4-dioxane by a poplar cutting in response to daily water flow and 1,4-dioxane transport for a simulation period of 7 days. Simulation shows that 1,4-dioxane concentration is high in leaves and low in roots with the stem in between. However, 1,4-dioxane mass in the stem (60%) is higher than that of leaves (28%) and roots (12%). This occurs because the stem volume used in this study is larger than those of leaves and roots. The simulation further reveals that about 30% of the soil 1,4-dioxane is removed within 7 days, resulting mainly from root uptake. A plot of the 1,4-dioxane concentrations in plant compartments as a function of time shows that the highest concentration in leaves is about 2600 μg/cm3 and the lowest concentration in roots is about 350 μg/cm3 at the end of the simulation. Results indicate that leaves are an important compartment for 1,4-dioxane accumulation and transpiration. This study suggests that the modified CTSPAC model could be a useful tool for phytoremediation estimations.