Transcript Phytoremediation

Phytoremediation
Of Lead using Hops
Why Lead?
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Lead contamination is an incredibly common problem in the
US.
It is the #1 contaminant at Superfund sites.
The EPA’s RfD Work Group discussed inorganic lead in 1985
and considered it inappropriate to develop an RfD (oral
reference dose)for inorganic lead.
The effects of lead, particularly changes in the levels of certain
blood enzymes and in aspects of children's neurobehavioral
development, may occur at blood lead levels so low as to be
essentially without a threshold.
Formation of Research Project
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Originally designed project and experiments using Hemp:
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“In 2013, the Vermont Legislature and Governor Peter Shumlin
passed S.157/Act 84, authorizing the cultivation and production of
hemp in the State of Vermont, without waiting for the Federal
government to relax their regulations prohibiting the cultivation of
hemp under the controlled substances act.
Growers of hemp are responsible for verifying that the seeds used
are of a type or kind known to produce plants that produce THC
below the 0.3% (by dry weight) threshold, and that they may be
subject to prosecution under Federal law.”- VT Dept. of Agriculture
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Hemp to Hops
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Both Humulus lupulus (hop) and
Cannabis sativa L. (hemp) are in
the Cannabaceae family.
Plants within the same family
often perform the same types of
functions.
Both Hops and Hemp are
phytoextractors and
hyperaccumulators, and are
heavy metal tolerant.
Hops, unlike Hemp, are legal
across the board.
Fuggle
STERLING
2
Greenburg
Liberty
Horizon
Galaxy
Phoenix
“Hops”
 Hop
(Humulus lupulus) is a
perennial, dioecious plant
that belongs to the
Cannabaceae family.
 “Hops” is the common
term for the female flowers
of hop plants, which are
known for their use in beer
flavoring.
Hemp Lead Accumulation Data
Phytoremediation
 Phytoremediation
is the use of vegetation for in situ
treatment of contaminated soils, sediments, and water.
Traditional Lead Soil “Remediation”
 Extraction,
solidification, soil washing, and acid washing
are common remediation techniques.
 Often the soil is simply excavated and disposed of, and
even after the above processes, the soil usually cannot
be reused and must be disposed of.
 Uses chelators (among other chemicals), which make
lead more soluble and available for uptake.
 Cost can be huge!
Benefits of Phytoremediation
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Very cost-effective.
Low maintenance, low
impact.
More aesthetically pleasing.
Cons:
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Takes considerably more time,
in this case years, and
exposure can still occur
during that time.
Site: McGoff Hill House
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The inspiration for the project, and the contaminated soil, came from
the house on McGoff Hill.
The house had lead paint, and many chips fell in the soil around the
house over the years.
Lead levels are so high on the McGoff property that they were
required to be reported to the EPA when soil samples were sent out
for testing: 5,000ppm
Uncontaminated soil contains lead concentrations less than 50 ppm
but soil lead levels in many urban areas exceed 200 ppm.
The EPA's standard for lead in bare soil in play areas is 400 ppm and
1200 ppm for non-play areas. This regulation applies to cleanup
projects using federal funds.
EPA Action Levels on Lead in Soils
Site-Specific Applications of Hops
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The narrow one meter strip around the foundations of a home, shed
or garage (often referred to as the drip zone) is usually where the
most lead contaminated soil can be found.
Hops grows right in that range, and because it has rhizomes
(underground stems that function similarly to bulbs), the soil doesn’t
need to be disturbed to re-plant from year to year.
Hops need trellis work to grow, and will not break down a house’s
exterior (unlike ivy and some other climbing vines).
According to data about both lead toxicity and the accumulation
of heavy metals in the Cannabaceae family, I believe it would be
unwise to use the hops grown for phytoremediation to brew beer.
They should be disposed of alongside the other parts of the plant.
Aesthetics
Growth of Hops
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Easy to grow, low maintenance.
Produces better the second
year (hops cultivation for beer).
Will live happily at a height of 6
feet if kept trimmed, will grow to
20 to 30 feet if allowed to.
Likes manure and compost
every year.
Many varieties for different
areas; cold tolerance, disease
resistance, etc.
Added Benefits from Green Cover
 Having
plants growing
near and shading a home
will reduce energy
(cooling) costs in the
summer.
 Can help clean the air in
urban environments, and
other ecosystem services.
 Aesthetically pleasing.
Other Phytoremediation Applications of
Hops
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Leftover leaves and stalks are currently being used to
remediate heavy metals in effluents and waste water.
The stalks and leaves, which usually go to waste, are ground,
and mixed into a silica-based polymer.
They then pack the granules of the polymer, containing
chunks of hop waste, into a glass column through which water
containing several common metal pollutants is pumped
(including cadmium, chromium, zinc, copper and lead).
The waste plant matter has turned out to be as effective at
stripping metal ions out of water as the commercial ionexchange resins that normally do the job.
Disposal
 Step
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Composting
Compaction
Pyrolysis
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one:
two:
Incineration
Direct disposal
Ashing
Liquid extraction
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of step two,
incineration is proposed as
the most feasible,
economically acceptable,
and environmentally
sound.
Questions?
References
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http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0926669003001110
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0926669002000055
http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.lsc-proxy.libraries.vsc.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=7&sid=e16f8c471970-4973-a7c9b4e926c50e76%40sessionmgr198&hid=114&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHVybCx1aWQmc2l0ZT1laG
9zdC1saXZl#db=aph&AN=7798029
http://agriculture.vermont.gov/plant_pest/plant_weed/hemp
http://www.clu-in.org/download/toolkit/phyto_e.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2577278/
http://www.iaea.org/inis/collection/NCLCollectionStore/_Public/41/131/41131215.pdf
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/remedytech/tsp/download/leadcont.pdf
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/csem.asp?csem=7&po=8
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/publications/books/plpyc/contents.htm
http://rydberg.biology.colostate.edu/phytoremediation/2012/Phytoremediation%20with%20hemp
%20by%20Laura%20Cascardi.pdf
References Continued
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https://www.pinterest.com/yorksrealale/beer-ingredients-hops-growing/
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg17022853.400-leftover-hops-clean-up-heavymetalbrew.html
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749103003609
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=164065