Phytoremediation for bioenergy: challenges and opportunities

Phytoremediation has been increasingly used as a more sustainable approach for the remediation of contaminated sites. The costs associated with this remediation method are usually lower than other well-known remediation technologies and some environmental impacts, like atmospheric emissions and waste generation, are inexistent. The biomass produced in phytoremediation could be economically valorized in the form of bioenergy (biogas, biofuels and combustion for energy production and heating), representing an important environmental co-benefit, added to others such as erosion control, improving soil quality and functionality, and providing wildlife habitat. Several case studies are reviewed and some challenges and opportunities identified.