Environmental Pollution

Lesson #8: Phytoremediation

1. Read the article.2. Write down any vocabulary you dont understand.3. Discuss and write down with your neighbour the possible affects of using mercury in gold mining here in Colombia.

Minamata, JapanSee video on wikiDiscussionCould what happened in Japan happen here? Why or why not?What responsibility do we have to help prevent this?

Phytoremediation Process

ExamplesAfter Hiroshima: Diospyros kaki, Japanese Persimmon Tree = Tree for the World = Divine fruit for the soul - The only plant surviving radiations (Plutonium)

Chernobyl: There have been attempts made by few companies to.Examples: Brassica carinata: appeared to be the best at removing large quantities of Cr(chromium), Pb(lead), Cu(copper), and Ni(nickel)

Brassica juncea: appeared to be the best at removing large quantities of Cr(chromium), Pb(lead), Cu(copper), and Ni(nickel)

Corn (zea mays) = can take up incredibly high levels of Pb(lead

Helianthus: can take up Cs(cesium)

[Dr. Ilya Raskin of Rutgers University's Biotechnology Center for Agriculture and the Environment -Phytoremediation]