The aim of the course is to illustrate the potentialities offered by phytotreatment and bioremediation systems and provide the elements useful for their design and management. In the first part, the physical, chemical and biological processes underlying the soil and water purification by plants will be addressed. Two concrete cases will be elucidated: the constructed wetlands able to trait surface waters coming from intensively cultivated areas and the bioremediation of an industrial area contaminated by heavy metals. For both cases, the design elements, the monitoring techniques and the methods for evaluating the results obtained will be provided.