Why would anyone object? An exploration of social aspects of phytoremediation acceptability

Phytoremediation comprises a suite of promising cleanup technologies that use plants to remove or contain contaminants in soil and water. To be deployed, phytoremediation must be both technically and socially acceptable. This article explores the potential social acceptability of phytoremediation options proposed for use at specific sites and describes the conceptual framework that guides our exploration. The framework, called PACT (Public Acceptability of Controversial Technologies), consists of Dialog, Technology, Constituent, and Context dimensions. It posits that remediation. decision making is a social process informed by scientific and technical information, rather than a science- or technology-driven process. Although empirical data are scarce, applying PACT shows that a number of issues have the potential to impose conditions on the social acceptability of phytoremediation, and that some issues could lead to outright rejection. Further, because many of these issues concern values and goals, they cannot be resolved simply by providing better or more detailed technical information about phytoremediation. PACT is instructive in showing how even seemingly benign or desirable technologies such as phytoremediation have the potential to generate public controversy, delineating issues in ways that can help lead to their resolution.