Phytoremediation for water quality improvement: current advances and future prospects

Abstract Water pollution is a pressing global issue, exacerbated by industrial activities, agricultural runoff, and inadequate wastewater treatment, leading to widespread contamination of water bodies with heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and emerging contaminants like microplastics. Phytoremediation—the use of plants to remove, degrade, or stabilize environmental contaminants—offers a sustainable and cost-effective solution for improving water quality. This review explores recent advancements in phytoremediation, focusing on the integration of cutting-edge technologies such as nanotechnology, microbial synergy, and genetic engineering to enhance its efficiency. Nanomaterials, such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles, enhance contaminant bioavailability and degradation through mechanisms like photocatalysis and reactive oxygen species generation. Plant growth-promoting bacteria optimize rhizosphere processes to increase metal uptake and organic pollutant breakdown. Genetic engineering, including CRISPR/Cas9 approaches, enables precise modifications of plant traits related to pollutant tolerance and accumulation. Collectively, these advancements have demonstrated significantly improved contaminant removal rates compared to traditional plant-based methods—though primarily in controlled, small-scale studies. Challenges remain in scaling these technologies to real-world applications due to ecological risks, high regulatory costs, and the need for robust cost–benefit analysis. Continued interdisciplinary research and pilot-scale validation will be essential to ensure these tools can be safely and effectively deployed in large-scale aquatic remediation.