Industrially contaminated soils have severe impact on the Earth’s ecosystems, which in turn adversely affects human health. Decontaminating such soil is a long, complex, and expensive process.
A European project, known as LIFE I+DARTS, aims to address this problem by developing a protocol to enable the recovery of soils contaminated with Arsenic and heavy metals in former mining and industrial sites.
The project, which runs until August 2016, is already revealing pertinent results. The LIFE I+DARTS team has found that plants such as the birch, the willow or the yellowhead and leguminous plants such as the melilotus alba can pull heavy metals and Arsenic from the soil. Some species of fungi have been found effective also. Current methods of remediation rely upon excavation and disposal in landfills and in-place containment.
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For more information about the project, visit the LIFE I+DARTS website