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Phytoremediation
From the Greek work “phyto” for plants and “remediate” – meaning to remedy or cure, phytoremediation is a technology that uses plants to clean toxic materials from soil. Phytoremediation has been used to stabilize or remove heavy metals, PCB’s, pesticides, solvents, crude oil and petroleum products such as poly aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH’s) from soil. Phytoremediation occurs through a series of complex inter-reactions between plants, microbes and soil. Depending upon the situation and application, plants can stabilize contaminated sediments by forming dense root mats under the surface (so the toxins don’t contaminate groundwater) or accumulate, degrade or volatize the toxins.
Phytoremediation projects from this past year included coordinating a project on the Mary Ellen Helgren Memorial site with Kenosha Racine Land Trust (which owns the land) the Milwaukee Community Service Corp (which provided a crew and the funding for the project with an Federal earmark for phytoremediation funds), and the University of Wisconsin Parkside (which provided technical oversight). Long-term plans for this site, which is contaminated with lead and chromium from illegally dumped foundry fill, include continuing an existing bike path along a portion of the land. The site is near two existing parks and borders the Root River in the city of Racine Wisconsin and will create an environmental corridor between them. Groundwork Milwaukee role included supervising the clearing and preparation of ten test plots for planting with turf grass and mustard plants that will be mixed with a fungus that enhances the roots’ ability to uptake metals contaminating the site. (need to scan the article I have and send you so you’ll have the photo.
Groundwork Milwaukee also supervised maintenance work and facilitated testing of the contaminated sediments (primarily PCB’s) at the Pier Milwaukee phytoremediation project. This project allows Pier Milwaukee - a local boat docking company on the Kinnickinnic River near it’s the confluence with the Milwaukee and Menomonee Rivers - to stay in business by receiving permits for dredging the River near its launch and containing PCB contaminated sediments on site. The dredged materials are undergoing a phytoremediation treatment in a fenced off site. Milwaukee Community Service Corps planted deeply rooted Ash Trees on the site several years ago.
Groundwork Milwaukee also worked with the City of Milwaukee Department of City Development, Milwaukee Community Service Corps and the URS Corporation to begin the planning needed to install a phytoremediation system on an abandoned property at 63rd Street and Appleton Avenue. The property, which was formerly a gas station, is too small to be redeveloped. Through phytoremediation, contamination from a leaking underground gasoline storage tank will more economically be kept from contaminating groundwater while turning a brownfield into greenspace.
Resources
A Citizen's Guide to Phytoremediation
EPA uses many methods to clean up pollution at Superfund and other sites. Some, like phytoremediation, are considered new or innovative. Such methods can be quicker and cheaper than more common methods. If you live, work, or go to school near a Superfund site, you may want to learn more about cleanup methods. Perhaps they are being used or are proposed for use at your site. How do they work? Are they safe? This Citizen's Guide is one in a series to help answer your questions.
Milwaukee Champions the Use of Plants to Remove Toxic Waste
BlueGreen Magazine: Volume 1 Issue 1
Imagine a place where an army of plants ferociously devours potentially harmful chemicals that enter the environment. Think Milwaukee. Milwaukee is sprouting a variety of projects that use plants to remove toxic materials from contaminated soil and water. Spreading like proverbial kudzu, Milwaukee is rapidly becoming the center of a cutting-edge network of scientists and environmental engineers who apply phytoremediation as means to clean up contaminated properties.
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