All over the globe, industrialization has rendered

useless numerous sites by contaminating soil,
sediment and water resources with toxic metals and
metalloids. Primary sources of such contamination,
aerial deposition from the burning of fossil fuels

and mining and smelting activities, have

created biologically barren sites called brown-

fields. These contaminants not only destroy

life in the immediate areas but by finding

their way into water sources can reach all

branches of the ecosystem, including humans. The

situation has become so desperate that the

government has required the remediation and

stabilization of such sites by law. Over the past few
years, scientists have found many applications of
biotechnology that address this concern. One such
promising solution that has lately gained much
attention from both academia and industry is
phytoremediation.