Advancing Sustainable Phytoremediation and Circular Biomass Strategies for Polluted Freshwater Environments

Phytoremediation of contaminated aquatic environments is an emerging interdisciplinary field that addresses pollution in freshwater ecosystems using the inherent capabilities of plants and their associated microbiota. Increasing discharges of heavy metals, metalloids, and novel organic pollutants from industrial, agricultural, and urban sources pose severe threats to rivers, lakes, and wetland habitats globally. Traditional remediation methods can be costly, disruptive, and can create persistent waste streams, compelling the need for sustainable alternatives. Recent advances have shed light on the unique physiological and molecular mechanisms by which aquatic plants tolerate, detoxify, or sequester a range of contaminants. However, gaps remain in fully understanding the integrated processes governing plant responses to pollutants, the functional contributions of root-associated microorganisms, and the fate of contaminated biomass generated through these approaches. There is an urgent need for comprehensive studies that address these intricacies, leverage recent developments in omics and biotechnology, and explore remediation within the context of circular bioeconomy principles.

This Research Topic aims to deepen and broaden scientific knowledge on the integrated use of aquatic plants for environmental remediation, with a focus on three key pillars: the elucidation of plant stress and detoxification pathways, characterization of rhizosphere microbial partnerships, and innovative valorization of contaminated biomass. We seek to compile original research, reviews, and methodologies that answer fundamental questions about the physiological responses of aquatic plants to pollutants, the optimization of plant-microbe interactions to enhance remediation capacity, and transformative pathways for converting harvested biomass into valuable bio-based products. By fostering dialogue between plant biology, microbiology, environmental technology, and valorization sciences, the Research Topic aspires to advance practical and holistic solutions for aquatic ecosystem restoration.

The scope of this Research Topic encompasses laboratory, field, and modeling studies on phytoremediation, with a particular emphasis on mechanisms, interactions, and sustainable outcomes. Contributions focusing solely on chemical, physical, or non-plant biological remediation of aquatic environments fall outside the intended coverage. To gather further insights in this multidisciplinary area, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Mechanistic studies of heavy metal and metalloid uptake, tolerance, and translocation in aquatic plants

• The roles of root-associated microbes (including bacteria, fungi, and endophytes) in enhancing phytoremediation efficiency

• Omics-based and biomarker discovery approaches for assessing plant stress and remediation performance

• Technologies and applications for circular valorization of phytoremediation-derived biomass, such as in biochar, biosorbents, or bioenergy

• System-level evaluations, including field-scale demonstrations, life cycle assessments, and techno-economic analyses of phytoremediation strategies

We welcome original research articles, reviews, and methodological papers on these and related topics.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Community Case Study
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Community Case Study
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Phytoremediation, Aquatic Plants, Circular bioeconomy, Biomass valorization, Plant stress, Rhizosphere

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.