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Agrichemist’s solutions

Phytoremediation - healing with plants

Land has often been used as a natural, free dispose-all for toxic compounds. For many of
us, it seems to be a harmless practice, using the out of sight, out of mind idea. Rubbish is
still often burnt in many yards, and burning waste can cause long-term health problems.
A very long list of toxic chemicals are released that sound unassuming - VOCs, dioxins,
POMs, PAHs, all of which have harmful effects on us and our environment, and all of
which have been shown to cause cancer. Add in agricultural bags or containers contaminated
with pesticides or other harmful substances, fluorescent bulbs (mercury) cell phones (cadmium,
beryllium) varnish (arsenic), tyres (cyanide) - and all those will also be released into the air.
Depending on the winds of any particular day, you’ll be inheriting a variety of toxins
delivered into your yard by a not-so-well-meaning neighbour.
Phytoremediation is a cost-effective green technology based on the use of plants to remove,
metabolize, assimilate or adsorb harmful pollutants from the soil, water, or air. Just as there
are houseplants for clean air indoors, there are plants that can be used in your garden for
cleaner soil. Contaminated soils are detrimental to soil health and could damage, or even
kill, the plants you’re growing.

Some of these plants even look gorgeous in the garden: Sunflower, Impatiens, Celosia, Iris
and Pelargonium species shown above. Calendula, Brassica, Poplar, Phragmites, Vetiver,
Eucalyptus, Eichhornia, Melastoma, Alyssum and Euphorbia species shown opposite.
- Sunflowers were most notably used after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster (1986) to
remove cesium and strontium (radioactive elements)

- Impatiens balsamina removes Naphthalene (which is used in the manufacture of
plastics, resins, fuels, and dyes.)
- Celosia cristata pyramidalis remediates lead and Chlorpyrifos (pesticide) polluted soil
- Iris pseudocorus removes petroleum from contaminated soils

- Pelargonium roseum - indigenous to South Africa, this plant removes a long list of
heavy metals from the soil
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