This weekend, I start a month long, remote crash course on managing urban soil contamination & revitalizing former polluted lands. This education will help with more nature restoration, soil remediation & rewilding work in 2026 & beyond. All around the CRD regions, there's public lands which need decontamination work before any remediation work can be done. More sustainable local food security & nature biodiversity can be created, if we can decontaminate & revitalize more public lands, which have been polluted by man-made industry.

#Environmental #ClimateAction #biodiversity #FoodSecurity #ecology #NatureRestoration #SoilScience #PollutionSolutions

#Sweden - Removal of #PFAS from water by #AquaticPlants

Maria Greger, Tommy Landberg
February, 2024

Highlights

• High total biomass is important plant trait for high PFAS accumulation from water.
• Higher PFAS accumulation in shoot than roots with time.
• Degradation of PFAS with root peroxidases and laccases.

Abstract:

"We have found that aquatic plants can reduce the content of perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) within a short period of time. The aim of this study was to determine the variation in the uptake of PFAS from contaminated water by various #wetland plant species, investigate the effect of #biomass on PFAS removal, and determine whether laccases and peroxidases are involved in the removal and degradation of PFAS. Seventeen emergent and one submerged wetland plant species were screened for PFAS uptake from highly contaminated lake water. The screening showed that #EriophorumAngustifolium, #CarexRostrata, and #ElodeaCanadensis accumulated the highest levels of all PFAS. These species were thereafter used to investigate the effect of biomass on PFAS removal from water and for the enzyme studies. The results showed that the greater the biomass per volume, the greater the PFAS removal effect. The plant-based removal of PFAS from water is mainly due to plant absorption, although degradation also occurs. In the beginning, most of the PFAS accumulated in the roots; over time, more was translocated to the shoots, resulting in a higher concentration in the shoots than in the roots. Most PFAS degradation occurred in the water; the metabolites were thereafter taken up by the plants and were accumulated in the roots and shoots. Both peroxidases and laccases were able to degrade PFAS. We conclude that wetland plants can be used for the purification of PFAS-contaminated water. For effective purification, a high biomass per volume of water is required."

Read more:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030147972302683X

#SolarPunkSunday #PFAScontamination #ForeverChemicals #PollutionSolutions #WaterIsLife #PFASPollution #Remediation #PFASRemoval #PFASRemediation

#Australia: Research shows #NativePlants can detox #PFAS-contaminated #water

New research from Australia's national science agency #CSIRO, the #UniversityOfSouthAustralia and the #UniversityOfWesternAustralia has found that PFAS chemicals can be removed from contaminated water using Australian plants grown in a floating #wetland.

May 4, 2022

"They’re the non-stick on #Teflon cookware, the stain resistance in #Scotchgard, and the suppression factor in #FirefightingFoam, but while the staying power of PFAS chemicals was once revered, it’s now infamous as PFAS substances continue to infiltrate the #environment and affect human health.

"Now, new research from the University of South Australia is helping to remediate the ‘indestructible’ PFASs as scientists show that Australian native plants can significantly remediate PFAS pollutants through floating wetlands to create healthier environments for all.

"Conducted in partnership with CSIRO and the University of Western Australia, the research found that PFAS chemicals (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) can be removed from contaminated water via Australian #NativeRushes - #PhragmitesAustralis, #BaumeaArticulata, and #JuncusKraussii.

"Phragmites australis, otherwise known as the #CommonReed, removed legacy PFAS contaminants by 42-53 per cent from contaminated surface water (level: 10 µg/L).

"According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, exposure to PFAS may lead to a range of health issues including a decline in fertility, developmental delays in children, increased risk of some cancers, a reduced immune system, higher cholesterol, and risk of obesity.

"UniSA and CSIRO researcher Dr John Awad says that this research could alleviate many of these environmental and health risks by providing a clean, green, and cost-effective method to remove PFAS from the environment.

" 'PFASs are often referred to as ‘forever chemicals’ because they don’t break down, instead accumulating in the environment and in our bodies where they can cause adverse health effects,' Dr Awad says.

" 'In Australia, PFAS concerns often relate to the use of firefighting foam – especially legacy firefighting foam – which accumulates in the #SurfaceWater of our #waterways.

" 'Our research tested the effectiveness of Australian rushes to remove #PFASChemicals from #stormwater, finding that Phragmites australis was the most effective at absorbing chemicals through its roots and shoots.'

"The study used constructed floating wetlands as a mechanism for plants to grow #hydroponically. Dr Awad says floating wetlands present a novel and flexible way for natural #remediation systems.

" 'Constructed floating wetlands can be readily installed into existing urban environments, such as holding reservoirs and retention basins, making them highly manoeuvrable and adaptable to local waterways,' Dr Awad says.

" 'Plus, as this innovative water treatment system does not require pumping or the ongoing addition of #chemicals, it is a #CostEffective remediation system for PFAS removal.

" 'Add native plants to the mix and we have delivered a truly clean, green and environmentally-friendly method for removing toxic PFAS chemicals from contaminated water.' "

Notes to editors:

- So far, the floating wetlands system has only been examined under control laboratory conditions for PFAS remediation and the research team is looking forward to testing it in the real world, under natural conditions.
- This research is being carried out at the UniSA Mawson Lakes campus. PFAS has not been detected in or around Mawson lakes."

https://www.csiro.au/en/news/All/News/2022/May/Hydroponic-native-plants-to-detox-PFAS-contaminated-water

Original press release:
https://www.unisa.edu.au/media-centre/Releases/2022/hydroponic-native-plants-to-detox-pfas-contaminated-water/

#SolarPunkSunday #PFAScontamination #ForeverChemicals #Remediation #PollutionSolutions #WaterIsLife #PFASPollution #Remediation #PFASRemoval #PFASRemediation

#Okra and #Fenugreek Extracts Safely Remove #Microplastics From Water in New Texas Research

May 10, 2025

"The substances behind the slimy strings from okra and the gel from fenugreek seeds could trap microplastics better than a commonly used synthetic polymer.

"Texas researchers proposed in 2022 using these sticky #NaturalPolymers to clean up water. Now, they’ve found that okra and/or fenugreek extracts attracted and removed up to 90% of microplastics from #ocean water, #freshwater, and #groundwater.

"With funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, Rajani Srinivasan and colleagues at Tarleton State University found that the plant-based polymers from okra, fenugreek, and #tamarind stick to microplastics, clumping together and sinking for easy separation from water.

"In this next stage of the research, they have optimized the process for okra and fenugreek extracts and tested results in a variety of types of water.

"To extract the sticky plant polymers, the team soaked sliced okra pods and blended fenugreek seeds in separate containers of water overnight. Then, researchers removed the dissolved extracts from each solution and dried them into powders.

"Analyses published in the American Chemical Society journal showed that the powdered extracts contained #polysaccharides, which are natural polymers. Initial tests in pure water spiked with microplastics showed that:

- One gram of either powder in a quart (one liter) of water trapped microplastics the most effectively.
- Dried okra and fenugreek extracts removed 67% and 93%, respectively, of the plastic in an hour.
- A mixture of equal parts okra and fenugreek powder reached maximum removal efficiency (70%) within 30 minutes.
- The natural polymers performed significantly better than the synthetic, commercially available polyacrylamide polymer used in #wastewater treatment.

"Then the researchers tested the plant extracts on real microplastic-polluted water. They collected samples from waterbodies around Texas and brought them to the lab. The plant extract removal efficiency changed depending on the original water source.

"Okra worked best in ocean water (80%), fenugreek in groundwater (80-90%), and the 1:1 combination of okra and fenugreek in freshwater (77%).

"The researchers hypothesize that the natural polymers had different efficiencies because each water sample had different types, sizes and shapes of microplastics.

"Polyacrylamide, which is currently used to remove contaminants during wastewater treatment, has low toxicity, but its precursor #acrylamide is considered #toxic. Okra and fenugreek extracts could serve as #biodegradable and #nontoxic alternatives.

" 'Utilizing these plant-based extracts in water treatment will remove microplastics and other pollutants without introducing additional toxic substances to the treated water,' said Srinivasan in a media release, 'thus reducing long-term health risks to the population [and the environment].

"She had previously studied the use of food-grade plant extracts as non-toxic flocculants to remove textile-based pollutants from wastewater and thought, ‘Why not try microplastics?’"

Source:
https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/plant-based-filter-removes-up-to-99-9-of-microplastics-from-water/

#SolarPunkSunday #PlasticPollution #Plastics #Pollution #PollutionSolutions #WaterIsLife #Remediation

#MarineFungi Could Eat #PlasticPollution, Helping to Clean Our #Oceans and #Beaches

Learn more about the marine #fungi that could be conditioned to help clean up #Hawaii’s beaches.

By Monica Cull
Feb 14, 2025 4:00 PMFeb 14, 2025 4:01 PM

"Hawaii is home to some of the world’s most beautiful landscapes. Striking blue waters, lush jungles, and pristine beaches make it a paradise. It’s also home to other unique inhabitants, such as sea turtles, dolphins, and… plastics?

"According to a new study from the University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Mānoa, plastics are becoming the most prevalent form of pollution in the ocean, which can be detrimental to marine species and their habitat. However, researchers from UH discovered a fungus from Hawai‘i’s nearshore environment that may have the ability to break down plastics, and to top it off, they may be conditioned to do it faster. The findings were recently published in Mycologia.

" 'Plastic in the environment today is extremely long-lived and is nearly impossible to degrade using existing technologies,' said Ronja Steinbach, lead author of the study and a marine biology undergraduate student at the UH Mānoa College of Natural Sciences, in a press release.

"Marine fungi may be a term you’ve never heard before. This is likely due to the fact that less than 1 percent of marine fungi are known to science.

" 'Our research highlights marine fungi as a promising and largely untapped group to investigate for new ways to recycle and remove plastic from #nature. Very few people study fungi in the ocean, and we estimated that fewer than one percent of marine fungi are currently described,' said Steinbach in the press release.

"For this study, the research team looked at marine fungi found in #corals, #seaweed, #sand, and #sponges from Hawai’i’s nearshore. And they hope that the fungi could help degrade plastics in the marine environment.

" 'Fungi possess a superpower for eating things that other organisms can’t digest (like #wood or #chitin), so we tested the fungi in our collection for their ability to digest plastic,' said Anthony Amend, Pacific Biosciences Research Center professor and co-lead author of the study, in a press release.

The Hungry Fungi

"The team exposed the fastest-growing fungi to small dishes filled with #polyurethane, a common plastic, and noted if and how fast the fungi would consume it. The team also 'experimentally evolved' the fungi to see if they would grow and consume more polyurethane the more they were exposed to the plastic.

" 'We were shocked to find that more than 60 percent of the fungi we collected from the ocean had some ability to eat plastic and transform it into fungi,' Steinbach said in a press release. 'We were also impressed to see how quickly fungi were able to adapt. It was very exciting to see that in just three months, a relatively short amount of time, some of the fungi were able to increase their feeding rates by as much as 15 percent.'

"The research team is currently working to see if these marine fungi can break down other forms of plastics, such as #polyethylene and #PolyethyleneTerephthalate. They’re also trying to understand how, at a molecular level, these fungi can degrade these plastics.

" 'We hope to collaborate with #engineers, #chemists, and #oceanographers who can leverage these findings into actual solutions to clean up our beaches and oceans,' said Steinbach in a press release.

https://www.discovermagazine.com/environment/marine-fungi-could-eat-plastic-pollution-helping-to-clean-our-oceans-and

#SolarPunkSunday #PlasticPollution #Pollution #PollutionSolutions