The Straight Dope on Hemp Soil Cleanup

Hemp is capable of cleaning up radioactive soil and more. But, then what? Hemp has become the darling of environmental cleanup. It’s called phytoremediation and RxLeaf reached out to Elizabeth Pilon-Smits, a professor at Colorado State University, for more intel. Our goal was to find out exactly what defines phytoremediation and to learn more about the specific applications for hemp. Prof Pilon-Smits is Passionate About Phytoremediation Originally from the Netherlands, Pilon-Smits arrived in the U.S. in 1994, to study phytoremediation for selenium. Nearly three decades later, she continues to research the clean up of selenium and many other contaminants. Over these years, the potential of several plants have earned her attention, including Brassica (mustards), Brassicaceae (rockcress). But, more recently Pilon-Smits’ focus has turned to Cannabis sativa (hemp). Her current research project — sponsored by Patagonia and New Belgium Brewing — explores hemp for cleaning up selenium and arsenic. Late 2020 will see the final results published. In the future, Pilon-Smits will also be a part of the study of hemp for the clean up of selenium-contaminated agricultural wastewater, in partnership with Ducks Unlimited, in Colorado. What is Phytoremediation? According to a definition from Nature, “Phytoremediation basically refers to the use of plants and associated soil microbes to reduce the concentrations or toxic effects of contaminants in the environment.” A study published in the African Journal of Biotechnology (2009), says there are four components to phytoremediation of heavy metals (like selenium and radioactive waste) 1. Absorbing and accumulating hazardous substances. 2. Degrading…

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Source : rxleaf
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