Sustainability of oil seed-bearing bioenergy plants in India (Jatropha, Karanja, and castor) for phytoremediation: A meta-analysis study

Abstract

In the present era when several countries are facing dual challenges of energy insecurity and environmental pollution, growing plants having bioenergy potential for reclamation of contaminated sites seems to offer a rather holistic approach to tackle both the problems simultaneously. Combining both the technologies (bioenergy production and phytoremediation of contaminated sites) apparently improves the overall environmental sustainability and economic feasibility of the individual techniques. Here, we discuss the ecological sustainability and economic feasibility of an integrated approach toward bioenergy production and decontamination of polluted sites using Jatropha curcas, Millettia pinnata, and Ricinus communis. This review paper attempts to provide a comparative snapshot approach toward the phytoremediation dimension of the three bioenergy plants taken for study in Indian scenario.