The cold climate and short growing season characteristic of the major oil and gas producing regions of western Canada make it particularly important to conduct phytoremediation research on plants adapted to the Canadian climate. Thus, this underscores the need for new research initiatives to assess the potential of phytoremediation as a method of remediating petrochemical contaminated sites in western Canada. In addition, they suggest that any assessment of phytoremediation in western Canada should stress both grassland and boreal forest species.
As a result of the general lack of knowledge regarding the selection and availability of plants
suitable for phytoremediation under Canadian climatic and ecological conditions, a survey of several
contaminated sites in central Alberta was conducted in 1999. The objective of the site surveys was
to determine which plant species were growing on, or in the immediate vicinity of, these sites.