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USING TREES AS CLEANING TOOLS

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Argonne researchers and technicians are tracking how well poplar trees are containing and removing toxic solvents (such as Trichloroethane, 1,1-Dichloroethane, and 1,1,1-Trichloroethane, Trichloroethylene) from underground water. Pictured here are Cristina Negri, Lawrence Moss, John Quinn, Rob Piorkowski. (Photo by Shawn Allee)

When you think of cleaning up toxic waste, you might think of technicians digging huge holes and carting off contaminated soil. It’s expensive, and they’re often just putting the soil and the problem, somewhere else – say, to a hazardous waste landfill. Shawn Allee met researchers who hope trees can clean some toxic waste, and leave the landscape in place:

Information from the EPA

Producer: Shawn Allee
Release Date: February 9, 2009
Running Time: 3:22