title: Technological change in revitalization - Phytoremediation and the role of nonknowledge.
abstract: In the 1990s, remediation methods that use plants to investigate and extract contaminations were developed. According to their proponents, these technologies have considerable potential for greening remediation and to develop a more sustainable trajectory for revitalization. Although a great deal of research has been conducted on these technologies they have, so far, rarely been applied in European countries. This article will contribute a perspective from social science to this debate. By taking an approach inspired by social science practice theories, attention will be drawn to a specific socio-cultural aspect: dealing with nonknowledge. The analysis of remediation practices reveals how the phenomenon of nonknowledge becomes relevant in the process of inventing and applying new technologies. This allows for a better understanding of technological innovation processes in remediation. Based on this understanding strategies are suggested which might increase the use of plant-based technologies in remediation and site management.
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany. Electronic address: alena.bleicher@ufz.de.
authors.forename: Alena
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bleicher
mesh_terms: D001317:Austria; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D005060:Europe; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D062069:Inventions; D019359:Knowledge; D012106:Research; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013557:Switzerland
keywords: Nonknowledge; Phytoremediation; Practice theory; Technological change