Heavy Metal Phytoremediation Potential of Vetiver Grass and Indian Mustard Update on Enhancements and Research Opportunities

Heavy metal pollution in the environment compromises environmental quality and human health. Phytoremediation is an innovative, green, and affordable technique that uses plants for the removal of contaminants from soil and water. Finding suitable plants that can adequately remove heavy metals from both soil and water has been a research hotspot in recent years, and there has been a rapid development in research on the use of high biomass producing crops for this purpose. Vetiver grass and Indian mustard have emerged as plants that are effective for phytoremediation and can serve other purposes during and after their use in phytoremediation. These plants are applicable in many areas because they can tolerate varied climatic conditions, thrive on degraded lands and contaminated water bodies, are easy to cultivate, and produce high biomass. This review article evaluates the phytoremediation potential of vetiver grass and Indian mustard by providing a synthesis of studies that have investigated their use for this purpose. The review considered research articles from the past 21 years and highlights the status and possible advancements in the efficient use of these plants for the remediation of heavy metal–contaminated sites. This work is of importance because phytoremediation is still undergoing immense research to promote its applicability and acceptability. Thus, it gives information on two important plants that are very useful for phytoremediation.