Poaceae in phytoremediation: A systematic review of current knowledge, research trends and insights into useful plant traits

Environmental contamination is a global concern, and quality assessment of different environmental matrices is essential for developing Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) such as phytoremediation, to reduce ecological risks. This systematic review aims to collect all recent information on the application of Poaceae species in phytoremediation, highlighting plant traits useful for phytoremediation of different environmental matrices, and determining needed improvements to enhance NBS efficiency. A time period of 11 years (2012–2023) was considered, and 30 variables were extracted from the selected papers to investigate: which species and contaminants were the most studied, the criteria used to assess the performance of different species, and the phytoremediation process aspects that need to be addressed to develop more effective NBS. The review of 171 selected papers revealed the top 10 most studied species. Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud., and Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. were the most frequently used, while the most studied contaminants were potentially toxic elements (PTEs). Several analytical criteria were assessed to evaluate thephysiological, molecular, and biochemical traits of Poaceae species. The complex network of rhizosphere interactions was also explored. Particular attention was reserved for polyploidy, which characterizes most of the investigated species, highlighting its huge benefits in enhancing plant performance and resistance to high contaminant stress due to genome duplication. The findings presented in this review provide valuable insights for advancing the field application of Poaceae in phytoremediation, which remains largely unexplored.