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3111952 
Journal Article 
Phytoremediation of organic pollutants 
Campos, VM; Merino, I; Casado, R; Pacios, LF; Gomez, L 
2008 
1 
Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research
ISSN: 1695-971X 
6 
38-47 
WOS:000253905400006 
Phytoremediation consists of a set of innovative technologies for environmental cleanup that takes advantage of the unique extractive and metabolic capabilities of plants. This technology presents clear benefits over traditional methods, including wide applicability, ecological value and cost-effectiveness. Whereas organic pollutants can be degraded to less toxic forms by plants, or even mineralized, most research has focused so far on heavy metals, which are immutable. We analyze here the possible causes of this disparity and present an overview of current knowledge on the mechanisms used by plants to detoxify relevant organic pollutants. The impact of recent advances in molecular technology and the prospects of using transgenic plants are discussed. 
organic pollutants; phytotechnology; plant genetic engineering; xenobiotics