XVI International Botanical Congess

Phytoremediation is the plant based, in situ treatment of contaminated soils and groundwater. To study the uptake and transport of TCE by plants, hydroponic experiments were conducted with willow and poplar trees. The results show that willow and poplar plants can transpire the TCE from the contaminated water to the top of plants. The concentration of TCE in plants was larger at the lower positions along the stem and decreased as the branches decreased in size. A mathematical model is developed to simulate the fate and transport of TCE in plants.