Phytoremediation: Selecting and Using Phytoremediation for Site Cleanup

Dennis G. Shin, PE

Course Outline

This three hour online course discusses the process of phytoremediation and how phytoremediation can be utilized to remedy contaminated sites and maximize the net environmental benefit of cleanup actions and reduction of project costs.  Phytoremediation represents a group of innovative technologies that use plants and natural processes to remediate or stabilize hazardous wastes in soil, sediments, surface water, and/or groundwater.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the student will understand:

• The phytoremediation processes and techniques;
• The applicability and advantages of phytoremediation;
• The technical limitations of phytoremediation;
• The considerations for selecting a phytoremediation system;
• The methods for designing a phytoremediation system;
• The methods for maintenance requirements;
• The considerations for monitoring requirements;
• The considerations for comparing costs of phytoremediation; and
• The methods for comparing costs of phytoremediation.

Intended Audience

This course is intended for environmental and civil engineers.

Benefit to Attendees

This course will provide usable knowledge to engineers involved with the design, construction, operation, and monitoring phases of site remediation where phytoremediation may be a feasible technological alternative.

Course Introduction

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) is dedicated to developing and promoting innovative cleanup strategies that restore contaminated sites to productive use, reduce associated costs, and promote environmental stewardship.  The USEPA strives for cleanup techniques that use fewer natural resources and are energy efficient, reduce negative impacts on the environment, minimize or eliminate pollution at its source, and reduce waste to the greatest extent possible.  Cleanup technologies that reduce costs, decrease time frames, or positively affect other decision considerations can have a significant effect on the redevelopment potential of Brownfield sites.

Course Content

This course is entirely based on USEPA Publication "Brownfields Technology Primer: Selecting and Using Phytoremediation for Site Cleanup", EPA 542-R-01-006, July 2001:

Phytoremediation: Selecting and Using Phytoremediation for Site Cleanup

Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.

Course Summary

Phytoremediation incorporates strategies to remedy contaminated sites and maximizes the net environmental benefit of cleanup actions and reduction of project costs.  Phytoremediation represents a group of innovative technologies that use plants and natural processes to remediate or stabilize hazardous wastes in soil, sediments, surface water, and/or groundwater.

Related Links

For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following websites or web pages:

Contaminated Site Clean-Up Information - www.clu-in.com/
USEPA National Service Center for Environmental Publications - www.epa.gov/nscep/index.html

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

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DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.

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