By: David Gonzalez Danny Poslet

Brittany Seyler (GPS)

- The process of removing contamination from soil or water using plants.

TCE(Trichlorethylene)- is a solvent that has been widley used as a spot remover in the dry cleaning industry for degreasing engine turbines as an ingredient for paints and cosmetics. Also it has been used as a anesthetic.

Lead Heavy metals Toxins

The first process is Phytodegradation, which is when a plant takes in TCE and degrades it into CO2 and chlorinebefore released into the atmosphere.

Another process is phytovolatilization which is when some chemicals are taken in and through the xylem and converted into a gas through the stomata of the plant.

When plants go throught these processes they leave chemicals in stem for easy harvest.

Cat tail Poplar tree

Hyperaccumulators like Thlaspi possess genes that regulatethe amount of metals takenup from the soil by roots anddeposited at other locationswithin the plant.(K8784-10)

                              

Alpine pennycress doesn't justthrive on soils contaminatedwith zinc and cadmium it cleansthem up by removing the excessmetals.

ArsenicCadmiumLeadAluminumBerylliumCopperIronMercuryNickel

These persist in soils and are toxic to animals even in small quantities

Let’s see do the cost out way the benefits? Estimated cost are 50%-80% lower than clean up

stratigies invloving digging and dumping contaminated soil elsewhere.

Also the stems of the plants can be harvested or up rooted and stored away.

A negative effect though is that the plants leaves my release contaminents into the atmosphere but the plant will still help remove chemicals from polluted areas.

Phytoremediation has promise for other contaiminets including tnt and other heavy metals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUYTK9B2RSw