Integrative approaches to phytoremediation: Mechanisms, enhancing strategies, and environmental applications

Phytoremediation is a sustainable, plant-based technology for removing or neutralizing environmental pollutants
in soil and water. This review identifies and analyzes the five principal mechanisms of phytoremediation such as
phytoextraction, phytostabilization, phytovolatilization, rhizofiltration, and phytodegradation and highlights
how plant species, soil conditions, and pollutant characteristics affect their efficiency. Through comparative
analysis of recent studies, we found that plant-microbe interactions, genetic modifications, and soil amendments
significantly enhance contaminant uptake and degradation. The review also underscores the increasing role of
phytoremediation in climate change mitigation, especially through carbon sequestration and pollutant-induced
greenhouse gas reduction. By synthesizing current advances, we provide an integrated framework that supports
the optimized application of phytoremediation in diverse environmental contexts.