Phytoremediation is the use of plants and their surrounding micro-flora and fauna to remove contaminants from soil and polluted waste water.

Willow is a good phytoremediator partly due to its vigorous growth and also the other organisms that grow in its root zone, the mycorrhizal fungi, bacteria and other symbiotic organisms.

Wiilow can remove complex hydrocarbons from soils, see link, as the project at Belper Tar Pits has shown.

Willow can be used to treat leachate from landfills, a continuing problem, as the capping of landfills does not stop leachate from being produced, the willow will remove high levels of nitrogen and phosphates as well as sequester heavy metals into its root zone. See link

Willow will remove, or trap in its root zone some heavy metals, Lead and Cadmium from batteries, Zinc and arsenic from other waste streams, all are soluble in soil water and are trapped by the willows microflora and prevented from entering ground water. See link

Willow varieties differ in their abilities to phytoremediate different pollutants, we can select the most suitable varieties for your site.

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