[CH] phytoremediation
Keegan Smith (mrkeeg@hotmail.com)
Thu, 21 Feb 2002 17:30:41 -0700
Karen and others:
Good question Karen! Phytoremediation is gaining some interest as a way to
deal with soil contaminants. It can involve plants that actually help break
down complex contaminants, or plants that uptake contaminants. If the
plants can break a contaminant into harmless products, great! However,
things like lead or strontium (basic elements)cannot be broken down, so you
are right (To end my long-winded speil without even a proper answer)- the
plants must be treated specially. Composting can be done, but once again
the contaminant can not be broken down, and the resulting compost must be
treated as contaminated waste (at least there is less mass to deal with).
The same with incineration - it reduces the mass, but care must be taken
that the contaminant doesn't return to the environment. Some desireable
phytoremedial plants accumulate a specific contaminant in only certain
tissues, allowing us to deal with less contaminated material (ex: just the
leaves, allowing us to harvest safe fruit). I think the eventual "treatment"
is usually burrial in a contained area.
Though this may seem like a pain, compare phytoremediation with traditional
treatments which may have involved excavating the entire site,
incinerating/treating/burying elsewhere TONS of soil, and trucking in tons
of replacement soil.
Hope that helps with your question!
see ya, happy planting!
Keegan
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