I PFAS they are highly harmful chemicals for our body. According to researchers at Northern Michigan University, hemp could be used for reclaim contaminated land.
The danger of PFAS is more than concrete. In fact, these substances, disposed of incorrectly or illegally, contaminate the aquifers, the water for cultivation and consequently the foods that then end up directly on our tables. And they could cause:
- obesity
- fertility problems
- liver damage
- thyroid disease
- cancer
- increase the risk of miscarriage
Hemp and PFAS to clean up contaminated soils
"Chemicals permanent". This is how PFAS are defined, because they persist in our environment and organism. A threat that needs to be dealt with as soon as possible, also because, according to the European Environment Agency, there are thousands those who infest us.
In this regard, the chemistry teacher Lesley Putman, starting from an experiment on a contaminant not considered toxic: perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), is investigating the properties of hemp, which it hopes can both attract PFAS from the soil and degrade them.
How told from the University, “We grew industrial hemp hydroponically and added PFBA to the water the plants grew in,” said Putman. absorbed in the leaves, stems and flowers and did not affect the growth of the plant. We achieved the same result in the greenhouse by planting the seedlings in soil and applying water containing PFBA. Then we did the same experiments with the two main toxic chemicals: PFOS and PFOA. Since those are larger molecules that don't move as easily and are not as soluble in water as the small ones, they didn't get up into the leaves as easily and were seized in the roots. However, if hemp can support them, this is a good place to start."
Hemp stores and mushrooms degrade toxins
As confirmed by Putman, hemp has proven itself equally well more effective of other remediation methods, even more expensive, in preventing PFAS from pervading the water table. Too bad that, as the teacher pointed out, "You still have plants that contain toxins."
Since it is essential to degrade PFAS once absorbed by hemp plants, Putman decided to collaborate with Myconaut, a company that studies the potential of mushrooms.
Mushrooms used to improve the health of contaminated soil. “Maybe we could inoculate some of the hemp roots with a fungus and see if this helps degrade the PFAS,” concluded the professor.
*Photo by Adele Payman on Unsplash
