Essay on Phytoremediation: Green Technology for the Future

41) A number of plants are currently being stydies for use in cleaning up land sites contanining toxic substances.

Bioremediators need to be able to grow in order to remediate the soil of pollutants. The purpose of this research is to determine whether the presence of Stropharia rugoso-annulata in the soil will support and accelerate the growth of ryegrass in a mutualistic symbiotic relationship. If the growth of the ryegrass is accelerated and supported, the combination of the two bioremediators could potentially accelerate the degradation of PAHs in the soil. Techniques such as soil washing, soil flushing, vitrification, etc., exist to remediate contaminated soil. Although, these techniques are effective, they also disturb the natural environment to some degree. Bioremediation is often accomplished in situ resulting in minimal environmental disturbance. This study is being performed because healthy soil is a limited resource that needs to be preserved and replenished. The state of soil can impact the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems, therefore, it’s important to be able to monitor and control the pollutants in

The purpose of this document is to provide an explanation for the cleanup of abandoned or contaminated industrial sites in Maryland. These contaminated sites are typically referred to as Brownfields or Superfund sites. A brownfield is a term used to describe land in the United States that is under used because redevelopment is complicated by the presence of environmental contamination.1 State entities work in cooperation with the EPA to delegate management of brownfield cleanup programs. Superfund sites are defined as abandoned sites that require federal action because they pose a real threat to human health or the environment. Congress establish the Superfund Program in 1980 to evaluate and clean up the worst sites nationwide. Superfund site

Another common remediation technique is stabilization or solidification which aims to alter the contaminants into a less soluble or mobile form (Wuana and Okieimen, 2011; Mulligan, Yong, and Gibbs, 2001; United States Environmental Protection Agency, 1991). In both methods water and a site-specific chemical solution is mixed into the soil to either alter its physical - make it less soluble - or chemical - reduce mobility - properties to make it less likely that the contaminants will move into other locations or be inhaled (Wuana and Okieimen, 2011; Mulligan, Yong, and Gibbs, 2001). Chemical treatment can also fall under the umbrella term of stabilization. Chemical treatment is add chemical solutions to the soil to detoxify the soil and can be used as a pre-treatment for other techniques such as solidification (Wuana and Okieimen, 2011; Mulligan, Yong, and Gibbs, 2001). These techniques are typically preferred due to lower costs but other physical elements of the soil, such as boulders, can make mixing the soil difficult and the process can volatilize and release volatile compounds (Mulligan, Yong, and Gibbs, 2001; United States Environmental Protection Agency, 1991). Mobility of contaminants can also be reduced by using the technique of vitrification through the process of heating up the soil (Wuana and Okieimen, 2011; United States Environmental Protection Agency, 1991). This method results

has now have been absorbed by the dirt, making the land toxic. As announced by the article

Following these steps helps ensure that all sites get remediated to levels that will protect people and the environment. Within each of these steps there are indications of what the site’s future use could entail. When the site is under consideration for redevelopment into a recreational facility, there are several factors that EPA pays close attention. One of the most important is containment, if there is going to be contaminants left on-site, are the proposed technologies for

Moreover, the “electric wasteland” (a powerline corridor habitat) is fundamentally not all that wide and short on space. Ironically, Another threat the wasteland faces is the belief of the general public that herbicides, regardless of how they are utilized, have an overwhelmingly negative impact on the wasteland and surrounding environment. However, past research has shown that targeted herbicide use can have less of an effect on wetlands adjacent to the powerline corridor than area managed by mechanical means alone. The caveat is that herbicides are applied using spot treatment techniques such as low volume foliar application, cut stump, and basal spraying techniques. The trouble today comes from utilities using high volume foliar and aerial herbicide applications techniques (mainly high volume foliar). Nevertheless, the last major threat to New England’s “electric wasteland” has to deal with is the public’s own poor perception of the habitat area itself. As a result, there is a negative backlash against tree removal even when its done to help maintain the quality of habitat area underneath the powerlines. Moreover, this poor perception also results in powerline corridors becoming the victim of vandalism, often from

According to the Appalachian Voices Organization, The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes that iron and manganese concentrations surpass drinking water guidelines in at least 40% of wells on the Appalachian Plateau, and in about 70% of the wells near reclaimed surface coal mines of the region.This proves that many communities local drinking water are being poisoned by the chemicals and waste left behind from the mountaintop removal sites that has entered their water supply and many water streams. Coal slurry, a waste left after washing and processing coal with water and chemicals, also gets into to their drinking supply and extremely dangerous because it is highly toxic and it can leach into groundwater. Furthermore, “On August 20, 2004, a bulldozer pushed a boulder weighing half a ton from a mountaintop removal site in Appalachia, Virginia. The falling boulder crashed into the side of a residence, crushing 3 year-old Jeremy Davidson in his sleep.” This demonstrates that mountaintop removal is terribly dangerous most especially to local communities affected by it because the debris and explosions from mountaintop removal can destroy nearby buildings and potentially kill someone. Mountaintop removal should be banned because it is a threat to many local

Underground mining involves large scale movements of rock and vegetation, which creates potential risks of land and tunnel collapse. Furthermore, this process of mining can release toxic compounds into surrounding water bodies. As the water takes on harmful concentrations, it can pollute the region surrounding the mine, as well as neighbouring water bodies. This can affect the growth of vegetation, animals and humans living in the surrounding areas. This form of mining also has high demand for water, which can deplete supplies in the surrounding region (Web.mit.edu, 2017). When copper is mined, toxic compounds are released into the air. The dust released during the mining of copper can release a variety of impurities associated with common health problems. Mining is also dependent on fossil fuels, which when released have harmful effects on the atmosphere (Web.mit.edu, 2017).

Fruitvale was a perfect town. There was a nice creek (Strawberry Creek) that dogs and children could play in and a very good diner that families could eat out at. Fruitvale was a mini fairy-tale land, until they hit reality. Fruitvale was recently contaminated by a No-Bug Pesticide that farmers had been using to get rid of the bugs eating their crops. Twelve wells were tested and the No-Bug Pesticide had not contaminated the Fruitvale Municipal Water Well yet. After one year, we tested all of the wells again to see how far the contaminant has spread. We have found that Fruitvale has approximately three years to get Fruitvale de-contaminated. We want to keep the cost at a minimum and all of the Fruitvale residents safe. To meet these goals, we hypothesize that bioremediation would be the most efficient way to accomplish the following task of making Fruitvale a safe

According to the European Union’s Joint Research Center, soil contains nearly one third of all living organisms, but only about one percent have been identified. Another study in 2003 featured in the journal Ecosystems estimated that 5% of the United State’s soil biodiversity was “in danger of substantial loss, or complete extinction, due to agriculture and urbanization.” (Robbins) The damage comes from multiple sources. Paving or building over soil effectively blocks out the air, water, and light needed to have a functioning soil biome meaning that roads, cities, sidewalks, houses, and businesses have destroyed the soil beneath it. Agricultural practices remove organic material, decreasing food, and then allows fallowed land to become dry and exposed to the elements. Household, industrial, and agricultural toxins can also sterilize soil if not disposed of

There are a number of reasons why we should care about brownfields. From encouraging urban sprawl through the ‘development’ of greenfields to their environmental impacts on soil, air and ground water, these properties are a drain upon the urban environment. Redevelopment of brownfields are complicated by the potential contamination of hazardous waste, heavy metals and pollution that has been left behind in the soil. Although this land can be used once the soil has been cleaned, landowners are not financially

Brownfields are abandoned properties that have the potential presence of of a hazardous substance or contaminant. A contribution to the contamination or pollution of a site are underground storage tanks.

Chemical elements can cause harmful effects on human health due to the use of plants that are grown in contaminated soil. Through bioaccumulation, over plants that absorb an element from the soil, elements enter into the food chain and shall be deposited in the human body. Root system in plants plays an important role in the distribution of elements from the soil through the plant. Elevated pH values can affect the lack of accessible forms of specific nutritious elements. The value of pH has a decisive influence on the dynamics of all the elements in the soil, especially micro elements and heavy metals. In the acidic environment the solubility of metals increases, they cross to the solution of the soil from which the plant adopted them, which can lead to greater adoption of these elements by plants. The increase in soil acidity reduces the amount of plant available phosphorus, which by binding to iron and aluminum becomes difficult soluble phosphates (Resulović, Čustović 2002) Also, there is a more intensive adoption of manganese and its toxic effects on

Pollution fighting plant are genetically modified plants and trees the help remove toxins in the atmosphere. For more without much trouble than a decade scientist were wondering what was can we remove toxins in the atmosphere a researcher from a plant biologist of the university of Washington. Scientist then worked of different plant plundering until they found a solution called phytoremediation. Phytoremediation is basically a solar powered pollutant removing system this system has an advantage over other pollutant removing system is its cheaper and easier to use