8. Soil pollution - Electronic waste and phytoremediation

It can contaminate soil, water and food with harmful pollutants, such as: lead, cadmium, chromium, brominated flame retardants, PCBs, BPA and phthalates

What happens when E-waste ends up in a landfill?

Phytoremediation

What is an interesting method used to clean up soil pollution?

It uses plants to clean up contaminated environments, certain plants can remove or break down harmful chemicals from the contaminated soil when their roots take in water and nutrients

How is phytoremediation used to clean up soil pollution?

When contaminant levels are low because high concentrations may limit plant growth and take to long too clean up

When does phytoremediation work best?

• Store contaminants in the roots

• stems or leaves

• convert them to less harmful chemicals within the plant or the root zone

• Convert them to gases which are released into the air

• Sorb (or stick) contaminants onto their roots where microbes that live in the soil can break down the sorbed contaminants to less harmful chemicals

How can plants help clean up contaminants?

It depends on the time the contaminant concentration, the size of the contaminated area, the growing rate of plants, the growing season length

Why does phytoremediation usually take several years to clean up?

Takes advantage of natural plant processes, less human labour, cheap and planted trees help control soil erosion (making the site more attractive and improve air quality)

What is an advantage of phytoremediation?

Air pollution problem, organisms can mistakenly eat plants, slow process, low efficiency and impacts the ecosysem

What is a disadvantage of phytoremediation?