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Researchers at the University of Washington have genetically altered poplar trees to pull toxins out of contaminated ground water, offering a cost-effective way of cleaning up environmental pollutants.
"Our work is in the beginning stages, but it holds great promise," said Sharon Doty, an assistant professor of forest resources at the University of Washington.
Using plants to do environmental cleanup is more than 10 times cheaper than other technologies. It is also less intrusive and more aesthetically pleasing, she said.
(1) Genetically modified poplar trees in Doty's lab sucked 91 percent of the toxin. (2) Trichloroethylene from a liquid solution. Natural plants were only able to remove 3 percent of the toxin.
The genetically modified plants in the study were grown in vials and were just several inches tall. But these tiny plants were able to metabolize the pollutant into harmless byproducts 100 times faster than the natural plants.
As with genetically modified foods, some people deem genetically modified plants as a potential threat. Doty and colleagues, for example, chose poplars because they are fast-growing and can grow for several years without flowering － allowing time for them to be harvested before they develop seeds.
Because of these concerns, she said these efforts would be limited to carefully monitored government cleanup sites under the Environmental Protection Agency's 1980. (3) "Superfund law", which was created to address hazardous and toxic chemical spills.
Reuters
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