Download Phytoremediation

By: David Gonzalez
Danny Poslet
Brittany Seyler
(GPS)
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The process of
removing contamination
from soil or water using
plants.
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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.
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Cat tail
Poplar tree
Hyperaccumulators like Thlaspi
possess genes that regulate
the amount of metals taken
up from the soil by roots and
deposited at other locations
within the plant.
(K8784-10)
Alpine pennycress doesn't just
thrive on soils contaminated
with zinc and cadmium it cleans
them up by removing the excess
metals.
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Arsenic
Cadmium
Lead
Aluminum
Beryllium
Copper
Iron
Mercury
Nickel
These persist in soils and are toxic to animals
even in small quantities
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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.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUYTK9
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