@phdthesis{01GV3H9JVF4BKT3K817XX2J674,
  abstract     = {{Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is one of the oldest cultivated crops, already grown 10.000 years ago for different applications including textile production from the fibers. Recently, the crop is receiving renewed interest as a sustainable alternative to cotton and synthetic fibers in the textile industry. Industrial hemp cultivation has many agronomic and environmental benefits. It is an eco-friendly and fast-growing crop with high yields, no need for pesticides, and low fertilizer demand. In recent years, industrial hemp is also gotten increased interest due to its tolerance to heavy metals when growing on contaminated soils and its ability to accumulate these metals in its tissues, removing the contamination from the soil, a process called phytoremediation. As soil contamination is a serious problem in the European Union and growing populations and industrial activities increase pressure on available land, the need to restore and reuse land grows. The 2030 EU Soil Strategy aims to restore all soil ecosystems to a healthy condition and achieve a "zero net land take" by 2050. Consequently, less optimal soil, such as soil contaminated with heavy metals, will have to be reused for non-food biomass production to reduce pressure on available land. Thanks to its agronomic advantages, high-value end uses, high tolerance to heavy metal-contaminated soils, and phytoremediation potential, industrial hemp could serve as a perfect candidate to combine sustainable fiber production for the textile industry with the valorization of heavy metal-contaminated soils. This combination of gradual soil remediation with the economic valorization of the biomass produced for non-food applications is called phytoattenuation. 
This thesis aimed to investigate the potential of industrial hemp in a phytoattenuation strategy, including its ability to grow on heavy metal-contaminated soil, accumulate the metals in the above-ground plant parts, and produce clean fibers for the textile industry. The research results indicated that heavy metal uptake in the fibers and the shives was sufficiently low to use these plant parts respectively for textile production and construction material. Heavy metal contamination in the soil affected hemp growth, however, yields were still sufficient for economical valorization. Hemp fibers underwent different demineralization and bleaching treatments used in the textile industry as a pretreatment for textile production. All combinations of demineralization and bleaching treatments resulted in fibers with heavy metal contents below the toxicity limits and safe for textile production. Wastewater treatment is an important step as an important fraction of the heavy metals were transferred to the latter during treatments. However, this is also the case during conventional textile production. The research results are promising for using industrial hemp in a phytoattenuation strategy for producing textile fibers.}},
  author       = {{De Vos, Béatrice}},
  isbn         = {{9789463575997}},
  keywords     = {{textile industry,heavy metals,fibers,phytomanagement,phytoattenuation,industrial hemp}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{IV, 184}},
  publisher    = {{Ghent University. Faculty of Bioscience Engineering}},
  school       = {{Ghent University}},
  title        = {{The potential of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) in a phytoattenuation strategy : combining gradual soil remediation with clean fiber production for the textile industry}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}