Aromatic Crop-Based Phytoremediation: Socio-Economic and Agricultural Sustainability

Author Biography

Dr. Valeria Ancona graduated from the University of Bari with a degree in Agricultural Science and Technology in 2004. She earned her Ph.D. in Agricultural Chemistry from the same university in 2008. She was able to solidify her knowledge and abilities in soil and water remediation technologies because to the abundance of experience she gained throughout her Ph.D. phase. She has been working at the Waters Research Institute (IRSA-CNR) in Bari since 2008, focusing on plant-assisted bioremediation as an ecological approach to multi-contaminated site recovery. She combined microbial ecology techniques for evaluating the structure and composition of soil microbial communities with analytical techniques for the assessment of contaminants (organic and inorganic) in soil and biomass to study soil decontamination processes as a result of the synergistic action between plant species and soil microorganisms. More than 80 publications have been published in national and international scientific journals (ISI), conference proceedings, and technical reports because of her research. Dr. Madhumita Roy is a DST Women Scientist at the Bose Institute in Kolkata, where she is the Principal Investigator. Her previous work experience includes a postdoctoral fellowship at CSIR-IICB (2012-2013) and teaching at Techno India University's Biotechnology Department as an assistant professor (2014-2018). Jadavpur University awarded her a Ph.D. in Microbiology, North Bengal University a master's degree in Biotechnology, and Calcutta University a bachelor's degree in Zoology. She has ten years of expertise (excluding PhD study) in the field of microbiology, specializing in Molecular Microbiology and Environmental Microbiology. Dr. Roy served as Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator on two research projects, mentored five research scholars to doctoral degrees, and published 18 articles in SCI journals, 10 conference proceedings, and eight book chapters. Her research goal is to use bioprospecting to find bacteria that can be used for environmental cleanup or to improve human life by screening and isolating novel antimicrobials that can kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria (biopharmaceutical application) Dr. Dragana Randjelovic works as a Senior Research Associate at Institute for Technology of Nuclear and Other Mineral Raw Materials in Belgrade, Serbia. She holds B.S. and M.S. from the Faculty of Forestry in Landscape Architecture, and a Ph.D. in Multidisciplinary Sciences for Environmental Protection from the University of Belgrade. She is working on the reclamation and remediation of degraded lands using selected plants, with a focus on metal and metalloid transport and accumulation in the soil–plant system. She investigates these processes in a variety of mine wastes and other anthropogenically altered environments, such as ruderal habitats or regions affected by environmental disasters. She also investigates the phytoremediation capabilities of many plant taxa found in degraded regions, including sensitive and endangered, medicinal, invasive, and ruderal plants. She has over 60 international and national research papers on diverse environmental themes to her credit. Dr. Vimal Chandra Pandey is an applied research scientist internationally recognized for his research in the area of Phytomanagement of polluted sites. He is listed as the World's Top 2% Scientists, announced by Stanford University, California, United States, and published by Elsevier BV, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. Dr. Pandey's research focuses mainly on the remediation and management of heavy metal-polluted lands and post-industrial lands, using ecologically and socio-economically valuable plants, to regain ecosystem services and support a bio-based economy as phytoproducts. His research interests also lie in fostering phytoremediation for utilizing polluted lands and thereby attaining the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Dr. Pandey's phytoremediation work has led to the extension of phytoremediation beyond its traditional application. He is now engaged in exploring commercial phytoremediation with the least risk, minimum input, and low maintenance for the rehabilitation and revegetation of fly ash dumpsite, red mud dumpsite, coal-mined sites, etc. Dr. Pandey worked at CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, and the Council of Science and Technology, Uttar Pradesh (CSTUP), Lucknow, India. He is the recipient of several awards/honors/fellowships. Dr. Pandey is a member of the IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management and the National Academy of Sciences, India. Dr. Pandey has published over 114 scientific articles/book chapters in peer-reviewed journals/books. He is also the author and editor of several books published by Elsevier, Springer, Wiley, and CRC Press, with several more forthcoming. Dr. Pandey is Associate Editor/Editor/Academic Editor/Board Member of journals such as Land Degradation and Development; Restoration Ecology; Ecological Processes; Environment, Development, and Sustainability; Ambio; Environmental Management; Discover Sustainability; Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology; and PLOS ONE by Wiley/Springer/PLOS. He also worked as a guest editor for many reputed international journals.