Scientists at a meeting this week (November 2006) will explain how poplar trees can be used to remove contaminants from groundwater and how compost can clean-up acidic mine water
Progress on these projects that use plants and microbes to clean-up contaminated sites will be presented along with other projects at a dissemination meeting for the GBP5million bioremediation Link programme.
Cleaning up acidic mine water with compost-based bioreactors.
Scientists have studied how acid, sulphate, iron and heavy metals in mine water can be neutralised using systems based on compost.
They have characterised the microorganisms involved and have now developed engineering design concepts for new treatment systems.
The project is led by the University of Wales, Bangor, and Newcastle University.
"1800km of watercourses in England and Wales are at risk from minewater pollution," said Professor Andrew Aplin from Newcastle University's school of civil engineering and geosciences.
"Working at three sites in northeast England and one in Fife, we have shown that even heavily contaminated mine water can be effectively treated with this approach".
Clean groundwater with poplars and bacteria.
Trichloroethylene (TCE) is one of the most prevalent groundwater contaminants, and is widely used as a metal degreaser, dry cleaning agent and household cleaning solvent.
The physical characteristics of TCE make it difficult to remove from the groundwater using traditional technologies.
Scientists from the University of Glasgow have shown that poplar trees can remove TCE from the water table.
The team is now investigating ways to break down TCE with bacteria using natural plant extracts.
"Natural plant extracts give soil bacteria an appetite for environmental pollutants," said Susan Rosser from the University of Glasgow.
"When the bacteria are fed small amounts of the plant extracts as a starter they eat the pollutants as a main course".
The Bioremediation Link programme was established in April 2001 to support the development of technologies necessary for commercial use of biotechnology in cleaning up contaminated land, air and water.
With the programme now five years old, projects it has funded are producing tangible results.
The projects using compost to clean-up mine water and poplars to remove TCE from groundwater are being presented alongside the other ten projects at a scientific meeting in London.
"Plants and microorganisms are well suited to deal with unusual compounds or environmental conditions," said Professor Nigel Brown, director of science and technology at BBSRC.
"The excellent science in the Bioremediation Link programme has exploited these mechanisms to help improve the environment and reduce pollution".
In 2000 BBSRC commissioned a project to investigate attitudes of stakeholder groups to new bioremediation technologies.
The study recommended a risk assessment of the technologies before implementation and use of non-GM methods where possible.
