Plants and microbes are cleaning up fashion industry pollution
Perwez A, Kothari S, Sen M, Jose AT, Panwar J
Phytoremediation
The dyes that color your clothes often end up in rivers and soil near factories, and the same wetland plants and soil microbes you might use in a rain garden are being studied as a cheap, natural way to pull those toxins back out.
Textile factories dump wastewater full of dye and heavy metals into rivers and soil, and this creates a real mess for ecosystems downstream. Instead of only using expensive chemical treatment plants, scientists are increasingly studying how certain plants and microbes can soak up or break down these pollutants naturally. This survey of nearly 30 years of research shows the field is growing fast, with scientists now combining plant power and microbial teamwork to tackle multiple pollutants at once rather than just a single dye.
Key Findings
Analysis covered 359 publications from 1998 to 2025 with an annual growth rate of 13.83%, and nearly half of all output has been published since 2020.
Bibliometric life-cycle modeling projects the field will keep expanding, with peak research output expected around 2029.
Research focus is shifting from single-dye decolorization studies toward microbial consortia, phytoremediation, and combined multi-contaminant remediation strategies.
chevron_right Technical Summary
A review of 359 studies from 1998 to 2025 maps how scientists are increasingly turning to plants and microbes, instead of harsh chemical treatments, to clean up toxic dye and heavy metal pollution from textile factories. Research in this field is growing fast and is expected to keep climbing until around 2029.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Plant- and microbe-based remediation of textile effluent-contaminated environments: mapping global research trends and emerging scientific directions.
Textile industries generate large volumes of effluents containing spent dyes, heavy metals, and other recalcitrant contaminants. The discharge or inappropriate disposal of textile effluents can adv...
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