PHYTOREMEDIATION OF LOESS SOIL CONTAMINATED BY ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

Loess soils extensively cover Central Asia and North China topography where oil fields are widely exploited; thus, organic contamination has become a critical environmental issue in these regions. As China faces severe land and eco-environmental deterioration, phytoremediation has been considered as a priority remedial alternative for reclamation of contaminated Cultivated land. This article provides a framework to understand phytoremediation applications in loess land contaminated by organic compounds, particularly by petroleum pollutants. Mechanisms of phytoremediation in the soil matrix are introduced and discussed. Experimental study at field test plots demonstrates selected plants are capable of growing well in the and and semi-arid loess plateau and effectively dissipate oil pollutants from loess soil. A combined approach including phytoremediation, surfactant flushing and microbial degradation is suggested for restoration of petroleum-contaminated agricultural land.