Harnessing Nature: Innovative Bioremediation and Phytotechnologies for Contaminant Removal and Ecosystem Recovery
This session aims to showcase and promote innovative research and applications in the field of nature-based and low-impact remediation strategies designed to tackle complex mixtures of legacy and emerging contaminants. As ecosystems worldwide face increasing pressures from pharmaceuticals, personal care products, pesticides, PFAS, antibiotics, and microplastics, the need for sustainable, efficient, and cost-effective solutions has become more urgent than ever. Nature-based technologies such as bioremediation, phytoremediation, and engineered natural systems—including constructed wetlands, microbial fuel cells, and algal–bacterial consortia—offer promising alternatives to conventional approaches that often demand high energy inputs and generate secondary pollution.
The session welcomes contributions at laboratory, pilot, and field scales addressing both organic and inorganic contaminants, with a particular focus on the degradation, transformation, and immobilization of emerging pollutants. Research exploring rhizosphere dynamics, plant–microbe interactions, and the use of organic amendments (e.g. biochar, compost, digestate) to enhance contaminant removal and soil carbon recovery is strongly encouraged.