**7.6 Rhizo-filtration**

It is the storage of contaminants by plants following root absorption from an aqueous growth media [16]. Rhizo-filtration is a phytoremediation technology that can reduce groundwater contamination by using the root systems of plants to remove a variety of contaminants (both organic and inorganic). The chemicals from the polluted water are absorbed and deposited in the root systems of the plants. The bioavailability of pollutants in the food chain can be greatly reduced by the interaction

*Remediation and Management of Sewage Sludge DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.109408*

between the roots of plants and pollutants in contaminated groundwater. The plants chosen for rhizo-filtration should be easy to cultivate, have a low maintenance cost, and produce few wastes when disposed of once the roots of the plant have become completely saturated with the pollutants. The effectiveness of rhizo-filtration was influenced by a variety of variables, including plant species, groundwater quality (pH and temperature), and the chemical properties of organic pollutants. The influencing elements placed a cap on how well the plants could execute rhizo-filtration. The elements could be considered to maximize rhizo-filtration's effectiveness, hence speeding up the removal of organic contaminants from groundwater [2].

#### **7.7 Phyto desalination**

Plant species primarily in saline soils remove salts [16]. Phytoremediation using halophytes is preferable since it can be carried out without these issues and is very simple to do. Different halophyte species, such as grasses, shrubs, and trees, can remove the salt from salt-affected problematic soils by salt excluding, excreting, or accumulating through their morphological, anatomical, and physiological adaptation at the organelle and cellular levels. Meeting the fundamental needs of people in saltaffected areas can also be accomplished by utilizing halophytes to reduce salinity [9].

## **8. Conclusion**

Water is a vital requirement for living organisms. However, this problem will only get worse over time because we are still far from fulfilling the world's standards for clean water. The discharge of municipal sewage is increasing year by year, which is a worrying situation for living organisms as well as for the environment. Heavy metals in soil and water can pose a hazard to the ecosystem's security and public health. Most metals are not biodegradable, and they can easily move between trophic levels to accumulate chronically in the biota. High pollutant concentrations in wastewater are extremely harmful to both human health and aquatic ecosystems. To degrade, remove, or immobilize the pollutants, phytoremediation uses a variety of mechanisms, including degradation (phytodegradation, rhizo-degradation), accumulation (rhizo-filtration, phytoextraction), dissipation (phytovolatilization), and immobilization (hydraulic control and Phyto stabilization). Plants use a variety of these methods to lower the amounts of pollutants in soil and water, depending on the contaminants. Municipal sewage is an accumulation of commercial water, domestic water of citizens, and municipal unit water. Municipal wastewater must be properly treated. Otherwise, it will be a serious threat to the ecological environment.
