Phytoremediation of mercury contaminated soil: A review

Mercury (Hg) is considered as a global pollutant, and the remediation of Hg contaminated soil always poses worldwide concern. Phytoremediation is a new technology developed recently for the remediation of Hg contaminated soil, in which, phytoextraction is a kind of most favorable phytoremediation techniques. This paper introduced the phytoremediation techniques of Hg contaminated soil at home and abroad, including phytovolatilization, phytostabilization and phytoextraction, with their application prospects discussed. It was considered that the study of Hg-hyperaccumulation plants and their tolerance mechanisms is of significance for the phytoremediation of Hg contaminated soil.