Bioremediation technologies and mechanisms for pentachlorophenol contaminated soil and sediment of water environment

Pentachlorophenol (PCP) has been widely used as pesticide in schistosomiasis-epidemic area of the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River in china in recent decades. Widespread use of PCP resulted in PCP environmental contamination in soil and sediment of water environment in the epidemic area, which posed a potential danger to the aquatic ecosystems and human health. Bioremediation that involves the capabilities of plants, microorganisms and soil animals for pollutants clean-up is the most promising, relatively efficient and cost-effective technology for PCP removal in soil and sediment. The present study reviewed the bioremediation technologies and their bioremediation mechanisms for PCP contaminated soil and sediment of water environment, which including phytoremediation, microbial remediation, plant-microbial remediation, vermiremediation and composting. Based on the review, some suggestions for further study on bioremediation of soil and sediment polluted by PCP are put forward.