Aquatic Plants to Clean up TNT in DOD Field Trial

CONTACT: Philip Montgomery
PHONE: (713) 831-4792

AQUATIC PLANTS TO CLEAN UP TNT IN DOD FIELD TRIAL

Common water weeds such as parrot feather and water hyacinth,
both known for clogging waterways and fouling propellers, have an
unexpected benefit for humanity according to Rice researchers-the
plants clean up TNT.

After years of using TNT (Trinitrotoluene) to
build bombs and shells to wage wars around the world, the Department
of Defense (DOD) is cleaning up toxic TNT waste, which is a major
contaminant of surface soil at more than 100 federal facilities. So
much TNT has accumulated at some of the sites that if the soil is
too dry there exists a potential for an explosion as earth-moving
equipment cuts into or moves across the contaminated areas. But, in
a wet environment, plants can clean up in three hours what bacterial
or fungal systems take 12 days to remove. The team has completed a
paper of its findings and will begin field tests on Nov. 1 in Milan,
Tenn., at the Milan Army Ammunition Plant.

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