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Laurent Ye
Joined: Dec 21, 2008
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Plants to the rescue!
June 16, 2009 - 12:04 PM
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Fannie Ouradou's article in the Weekly Green issue of February 2, 2009
Point St. Charles industrial park, situated between the Champlain and the Victoria bridges, is one of Quebec’s many contaminated aquatic sectors. The Société du Havre de Montréal [Montréal Harbourfront Corporation] is currently working on a project that would partially or almost completely decontaminate the middle underground streams by the year 2025. Point St. Charles area will undergo a highly promising experimental procedure called Phytoremediation. This technique is a natural process that absorbs, removes and degrades pollutants such as toxic metals, pesticides, solvents, explosives, crude oil, and other contaminants from bodies of water, soil and air.
The term “Phytoremediation” originates from the Greek root phyto, which means plant, and from the latin root remedium, which means can be translated into return to a state of equilibrium. The main advantage of this technique is that it is completely natural: it is environmentally friendly, extremely effective and rather inexpensive.
Phytoremediation includes several steps that take advantage of the plant’s ability to absorb and degrade contaminants. There are three different types of procedures. Phytoextraction is the process where the plants’ roots absorb toxic chemicals found in the soil, the sediments or in the water. These plants are later harvested and appropriately discarded along with the pollutants that were stored inside the stems and leaves. Other plants replace them, and the cycle continues until the area is rid of unwanted metals and other contaminants.
When it comes to stabilizing an ecosystem or containing polluting agents within a certain area, phytostabilisation offers an interesting alternative. Plants play an important role in erosion due to the wind and water. They reduce the impact of strong winds in hilly places and minimize the erosion of the shoreline. Moreover, plants maintain the polluting agents near and on the roots by adsorption and accumulation. They also prevent these chemicals from leaking into the environment. Contrary to phytoextraction, this process doesn’t enable the plant to absorb the contaminants and store them inside the body of the plant, but keeps them near the roots in order to protect the surrounding humans and animals.
In order to eliminate organic polluting agents, it is preferable to use phytotransformation. Certain plants, such as the Canna, live in symbiosis with microorganisms whose metabolism transforms agents into other less offensive molecules. Simpler molecules are easily degraded; however, complex compounds are processed in order to modify its original chemical structure.
Phytoremediation is a versatile technique that could be adapted for many types of situations. There are a lot of advantages: the process isn’t expensive, the plants are accessible and the metals absorbed can be recycled and it doesn’t disturb the natural environment. However, Photoremediation is quite limited in certain aspects. This procedure is effective only on a long term basis and the absorption capacity is limited by the length of the plant’s roots. Moreover, the effect it has on the food chain is yet to be discovered. I have to say, this method is quite paradoxical. It takes nature’s forces to beat the wrongdoings of man.
For more information, please visit weeklygreen.ca
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siddiqua
Joined: Feb 20, 2005
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Re: Plants to the rescue!
July 5, 2009 - 03:27 AM
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This sounds skin to using microbes to clean up oil spills in the sea. I've come across Eichhornia sps that grow in polluted waters and uptake the pollutants.
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jodevizes
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Re: Plants to the rescue!
July 6, 2009 - 01:36 PM
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These plants are really clever and I hope we don't wipe out too many species. There are also micro-organisms that can break down poisons and other pollutants in the soils and water.
In a way all those people claiming to save the planet are really deluded egotists. The planet will heal itself, there is no stopping nature, the hairless apes can only delay things for a while.
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Jo Devizes knows a womens website that is rather good.
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prieten47
Joined: Oct 26, 2006
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Re: Plants to the rescue!
July 8, 2009 - 11:43 PM
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jodevizes wrote:
In a way all those people claiming to save the planet are really deluded egotists. The planet will heal itself, there is no stopping nature, the hairless apes can only delay things for a while
I'm curious, Ms. Devizes, when your body is sick, do you assume it will just heal itself? Or do you take some medicine or go to the doctor? Maybe a headache will go away, but what about AIDS?
I think AIDS is a good comparison to Global Warming. Once the Earth's temperature has risen enough, it is very possible irreversible ecological changes will take place, some argue human life will become unsustainable.
Likewise, AIDS is a death sentence. One can perhaps delay the inevitable by taking lots of medication, but clearly PREVENTING getting AIDS in the first place is the best course of action.
I bet you are a far more responsible person than the above comment would suggest.
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jodevizes
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Re: Plants to the rescue!
July 9, 2009 - 02:49 PM
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Well actually, apart from the serious ones, the body does heal itself. Otherwise we would be staggering around with gaping wounds that never heal, burns that just blister or we just die from the common cold.
That which doesn't kill us make us stronger.
The point is the Earth is very old and will take care of itself. Us apes are barely a hiccup in its life.
Think of a mosquito landing on your arm, that is mankinds' effect on planet earth.
Whatever disgusting things we create, then dump into the sea or bury in the soil will be overcome by micro-organisms, plant or animal based.
With all of our knowledge, we just cannot know what our planet can invent to overcome its problems.
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prieten47
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Re: Plants to the rescue!
July 9, 2009 - 10:09 PM
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jodevizes wrote:
Well actually, apart from the serious ones, the body does heal itself. Otherwise we would be staggering around with gaping wounds that never heal, burns that just blister or we just die from the common cold.
That which doesn't kill us make us stronger.
The point is the Earth is very old and will take care of itself. Us apes are barely a hiccup in its life.
Think of a mosquito landing on your arm, that is mankinds' effect on planet earth.
Whatever disgusting things we create, then dump into the sea or bury in the soil will be overcome by micro-organisms, plant or animal based.
With all of our knowledge, we just cannot know what our planet can invent to overcome its problems.
I beg to differ. I like the present ecosystem and prefer that it doesn't get any worse or maybe we can even restore it if we try. I think it is worth trying. Are you one of these young people who throw trash out the car window?
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