Are there any plants those can remove toxins from the soil?

Question

If yes; how? If they store it within their bodies? Or throw them out? Can we use these "loaded with toxins" plants for composting?

Answer 1

The idea that poplars, which absorb lots of water and tolerate pollutants, could help toxic cleanup was tried along a stream. In 1991, Trees were planted along a field bordered by a stream with high toxic levels of nitrates. The brook's nitrate levels subsequently dropped more than 90 percent and the trees have thrived, serving as a prime example of a promising new pollution cleanup method known as phytoremediation.
This method uses plants-many of them common species such as poplar, mustard and mulberry-that have an appetite for lead, uranium and other pollutants. These plants have genetic makeups that allow them to absorb and store, degrade or transform substances that kill or harm other plants and animals.
http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/112299/new_1122990001.shtml
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1169/is_2000_June-July/ai_62805533

Answer 2

Yes there are. There are places in Cali Central Valley where plants re being used to clean the soil up.

Don't remember the plants being used tho. Sorry.

They just pull the elements up in their roots. Some plants store wierd stuff in their cells for all kinds of reasons.
Rushes pull alot of salts up. Some grasses do too. I just read something about a plant that stores toxins in its leaves to keep from being eaten. But there goes my memory ...can't recall the plant.

The plants cannot be used for composting is you are trying to get rid of the toxin. You'd just be putting it back in the soil.

Answer 3

Yes. It's called phytoremediation. Chinese brake ferns have been used to remove arsenic from the soil. They accumulated it in the leaves. They are called hyperaccumulators. it works because arsenic is similar to phosphorous, which is a plant nutrient and they use the same plant pathways. And no, the plants can't be composted. They need to be disposed of as hazardous waste. By the same token, constructed wetlands were used in California to remove selenium from wastewater. In this case it was volatilized or evaporated. Again, selenium is similar to sulfur, which is a plant nutrient.
This website has some info. :
http://rydberg.biology.colostate.edu/epsmitslab/

Answer 4

Unfortunately, no. Plants are only just marginally good at picking up the fertilizes we give them, the things that they need. For all the fertilizer they get, organic or chemical (chemical being worst) much of that just speeds by the roots as the soil solution fairly rapidly passes down, too far to be reached by most crops. As for toxins, most of which the plant could not use, they will pick up enough to make their food toxic to consume. Much of the concentrations them come from animals that eat those animals that fed on the toxic plants. They consume toxic animals and concentrations go up. Very prevalent in the sea and sea life. As plants are just not good at removing chemicals at all, toxins not being usable so even less is absorbed, unless they are put in constant and recycling situations, as with hydroponics ar possible algae tanks. Unless the toxins are relatively simple and not too injurious to plants, the plant will be affected. It will be stunted and even less productive, or just out and out die. If you wanted to get rid something like the fertilizer and chemical run-off from a golf course or some farming concern, holding tanks with fast growing water plants and/ or algae would help to get rid of even the short lived chemicals (even they evolve in their half-life's to less toxic components). In turn they could be composted and used, but composting needs to be very complete. A couple of times I have helped solve strange garden diseases which, after an incredible process, turned out to be poorly composted lawn clipping that had weed killer still active in them.

As for other chemicals, most things will get past the roots of plants too quick. For that reason it is hard to seed or plant something on contamination that will start quickly enough to work. Chemicals need to be removed physically and quickly or the ground water is at risk. For land that stays contaminated, each contaminate needs to be dealt with as an individual with individual remedies. There are GM microbes that will consume petroleum products but that is not the only action done. The petrol needs to be aggressively removed as much as possible with microbes being the last thing employed for the tiny little bit that can not be dealt with. Other GM products will be created in the future to deal with these issues. Another reason to encourage their growth as an industry instead of fighting it.

Answer 5

Yes, lots in fact. Often the plants will break the poisons down and recombine them into harmless compounds. My favorite example is the destructon of sodium cyanide by willow trees.
The cyanide radical (CN) is destroyed in the process.
There are a few poisons that are taken up by plants that remain poisons but it is relatively rare.

Answer 6

continuously save on with equipment instructions on all chemical substances. too plenty fertilizer can harm and kill vegetation. it is likewise washing off your backyard, into the typhoon drain and out to sea, which poisons the ecosystem, and makes sea existence unwell. undesirable information. The instructions are there for a reason. that's significant to maintain on with all of them.

Answer 7

Yes:super accumulator & sunflower,they store it in their bodies,no we can`t use them for composting because it is returened to ground again.
Good luck