What plant was able to detoxify the soil after Hurricane Katrina?

What plant was able to detoxify the soil after Hurricane Katrina?

“[Sunflowers] are able to take heavy metals from contaminated soil in a way that’s completely natural and un-harmful to the soil and its surrounding ecosystems,” Kitrinos said. “They’re called ‘phytoremediators. ‘”

What plants are used in bioremediation?

Best Plants For Phytoremediation

• Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) Info: Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.
• Willow (Salix species). (White Willow)
• Poplar tree (Populus deltoides). (Populus deltoides W.
• Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) (Sorghastrum nutans (L.) Nash)
• Sunflower (Helianthus Annuus L.) (Helianthus annuus L.

What is plant bioremediation?

Bioremediation is a technique used to remove environmental contaminants from the ecosystem. It utilizes the biological mechanisms inherent in microbes and plants to eradicate hazardous pollutants and restore the ecosystem to its original condition [9].

How does bioremediation work in plants?

Phytoremediation is a bioremediation process that uses various types of plants to remove, transfer, stabilize, and/or destroy contaminants in the soil and groundwater. In this process, the plant releases natural substances through its roots, supplying nutrients to microorganisms in the soil.

What plants remove toxins from soil?

Plants called hyperaccumulators absorb high levels of pollutants without being poisoned themselves. Hyperaccumulators take up toxins in soil or water — including heavy metals, radioactive contaminates or petroleum products — in a process called phytoremediation.

How do you remove toxins from soil?

However, it turns out that the best way to clean contaminated soil is to grow plants that have evolved mechanisms for decomposing and removing toxic residue from soils. These plants are called hyperaccumulators because they are able to take up 100 times more metals and petrochemicals than other plants.

What plants pull toxins from soil?

Familiar plants such as alfalfa, sunflower, corn, date palms, certain mustards, even willow and poplar trees can be used to reclaim contaminated soil – a cheap, clean and sustainable process. The term, phytoremediation, can be best understood by breaking the word into two parts: “phyto” is the Greek word for plant.

What plants absorb heavy metals?

“Brassica juncea (Indian mustard) and Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth) have the the highest tendency of absorbing heavy metals from soil and water, respectively.” Brassica juncea (Indian mustard) and Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth) have the the highest tendency of absorbing heavy metals from soil and water .

What are examples of bioremediation?

Some examples of bioremediation technologies are bioventing, landfarming, bioreactor, composting, bioaugmentation, rhizofiltration, and biostimulation. Not all contaminants, however, are easily treated by bioremediation using microorganisms.

Why microorganisms are used in bioremediation?

Microorganisms are suited to the task of contaminant destruction because they possess enzymes that allow them to use environmental contaminants as a food. For bioremediation to be effective, microorganisms must enzymatically attack the pollutants and convert them to harmless products.

What are the important facts on bioremediation?

The bioremediation process creates relatively few harmful byproducts (mainly due to the fact that contaminants and pollutants are converted into water and harmless gases like carbon dioxide). Finally, bioremediation is cheaper than most cleanup methods because it does not require substantial equipment or labor.

Which plants absorb the most pollution?

The Top 10 Plants for Removing Indoor Toxins

1. Areca Palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens)
2. Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa)
3. Bamboo palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii)
4. Rubber Plant (Ficus robusta)
5. Dracaena “Janet Craig” (Dracaena deremensis)
6. Philodendron (Philodendron sp.)
7. Dwarf Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii)

What was the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina?

The category 5 hurricane caused billions of dollars worth of damage, killed hundreds of people and destroyed homes along the entire East Coast of America. For more information on Hurricane Katrina read the fact file below or download our comprehensive worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

When did Hurricane Katrina become a Category 5 hurricane?

• Hurricane Katrina became a category 5 hurricane on August 28th. • Bu August 28th, almost all the infrastructure along the Gulf Coast had been closed down in preparation for Hurricane Katrina. • The maximum wind speed of Hurricane Katrina was 175mph. • In some places, rainfall from Hurricane Katrina reached 15 inches.

Who was president when Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana?

• Tropical Storm Katrina turned into Hurricane Katrina over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. • On August 27th, President George W. Bush declared a state of emergency in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi.