Phytoremediation of heavy metal contaminated soil is an emerging technology that aims to extract of inactivate metals in soils. Chemical immobilization of heavy metals by the application of ameliorants like lime, farm yard manure (FYM), phosphates and combination of FYM+CaCO3 etc. Among these, soil excavation is the only method for the total removal of heavy metals from contaminated soil. Two approaches have been proposed for phytoextraction of heavy metals, namely continuous or natural phytoextraction and chemically enhanced phytoextraction. The first is based on the use of hyper-accumulator plants with exceptional metal-acumulating capability. These plants have several beneficial characteristics such as the ability to accumulate metals in their shoots and an exceptionally high tolerance to heavy metals. Phytoremediation is the use of crop plants to absorb and remove metal contaminants from the soil. Some crop plants tend to concentrate a specific metal of the heavy metals and allow its removal and safe disposal at the time of harvest. The metal extractability and accumulating ability of crop species is also influenced by the addition or presence of soil amendments and complexing agents.
