Investigating the potential of heavy metal accumulation from hemp. The use of industrial hemp (Cannabis Sativa L.) for phytoremediation of heavily and moderated polluted soils

In the last decades, the pollution of the soil environment with heavy metals poses a significant threat to both rural and urban areas. The effort to find the proper methods for soil decontamination and remediation is of great importance to the scientific community. Phytoremediation can assist in this way considering that it is profoundly (in comparison to traditional approaches) an affordable, less invasive and more environment friendly technique. It is a biological restoration, based on the utilization of special plants, in order to sequester soil pollutants via their root system and effectively remove them from the soil. Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L). has an inherent ability to accumulate metals and metalloids in its shoots and roots, as it can easily form stable complexes and compounds with the ions of the elements. Its cultivation in field experiments, and in pots, led to satisfactory results, as it has a short life cycle. Industrial hemp has emerged as a promising crop that can clean up polluted soils. It accumulates mainly in its underground part the pollutants, while its stems and its seeds, used for the production of high value products are almost free of pollutants. In this paper, we present and analyze the results of different studies regarding the capacity of Cannabis sativa L. to accumulate heavy metals and the possible uses of the plant in a circular economy model framework.