Identification of Trichloroethene in Groundwater Using Trees

Abstract

Several tonnes of useful chemicals are produced every year for use in households, agriculture production and industries. However, these chemicals move from their original production or application sites through the air, surface or groundwater or soils and are deposited in unintended places. The resultant contamination of these matrices and the subsequent effects on living organisms, have become a major concern for researchers and policy makers. This study aimed at using literature to briefly review the role of plants in identifying trichloroethene contamination in groundwater. It was found that plants, through direct contact with the soil and such processes as advective uptake, translocation, diffusion and particle deposition are able to incorporate most of these contaminants into their tissues and store them in leaves, branches and trunks. The entire process of removing TCE by this method has thus been found to be inexpensive, easy to undertake and has been shown to be environmentally friendly. It may therefore be an effective way for the identification and analysis of this contaminant.