ISLAMABAD, Jan 29: The University of Arid Agriculture (UAA), Rawalpindi, has envisioned a research project to rectify the contaminated industrial and agriculture land using phytoremediation technology , a press release on Saturday said.

Phytoremediation is a technology under which certain species of plants and their associated microorganisms are used for the treatment of contaminated soil. This technology is steadily emerging with potential for the effective and inexpensive cleanup of a broad range of organic and inorganic wastes, it said.

In this regard, a specialized "Ecotoxicology Laboratory" will be established at the Department of Botany to accommodate anticipated equipment and research students.

Speaking about the project, UAA Vice-Chancellor Prof (Dr) Khalid Mahmood Khan said industrialization, mining, manufacturing and other urban activities had caused extensive soil contamination over the past century which was posing major environmental and human health problems.

This problem has been attracting considerable attention all over the country and the UAA, realising its responsibility, has decided to start this research project, he added.

The vice-chancellor said the UAA would showcase the potential of phytoremediation technology as an effective tool for cleaning up the contaminated soil in collaboration with the government and the industry.

The man behind the phytoremediation project is Dr A. G. Khan of University of Western Sydney, Australia. Dr Khan is a PhD in soil microbiology from the University of Sydney and he has joined the Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences of the UAA, as a visiting professor under the Higher Education Commission's foreign faculty hiring scheme.

Dr Khan is contributing to teaching MSc Botany students as well as supervising PhD students. He is in the process of submitting two research project proposals for funding to the HEC and the Pakistan Science Foundation in a new area of biotechnology called phytoremediation.

He also desires to establish a centre of excellence in this new dimension of biotechnology at the University of Arid Agriculture.

Speaking about phytoremediation, Dr A. G. Khan said it was a new technology in which vascular plants were used to remove contaminants from the soil, as some plants were able to extract and concentrate particular elements from the environment, offering a permanent means of remediation.

The plant tissues accumulate the contaminants and thus can safely be disposed, he said. Phytoremediation can be used to clean up metals, pesticides, solvents, explosives, crude oil, poly aromatic, hydrocarbons and landfill leachates, he added.