Do you ever feel like we can't get through a week without a new disaster threatening to wipe us all out? If it's not carbon emissions, it's microplastics or heavy metals. Rather than focus on the negative, why don't we take a look at some positive discoveries that might help save the planet, such as how...
- Ferns Collect Heavy Metal
- Edible Mushrooms Eat Plastic and Oil
- Chernobyl Fungi Could be a Biobased Radiation Shield
- Gardening May Be the Future of Mining
- Waxworms Can Melt and Gobble Plastics
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| Bracken can slurp up heavy metals... (Musekaw) |
Ferns Collect Heavy Metal
Bracken is a large, tough and ancient fern that can be found all over the world. Some cultures use the leaves in soups or as vegetables, but that's a risky proposition - bracken leaves contain both hydrogen cyanide and carcinogens, making them a potentially deadly dish over time.
On the other hand, this resilient plant might be able to strip heavy metals from polluted ground. Researchers found that bracken absorbed cadmium, nickel and lead from contaminated soil without issue, collecting those heavy metals in roots, stems and leaves.
So why does this matter? Heavy metals ore often left in the wake of industry and can do a lot of damage to humans, flora and fauna. They also don't biodegrade, meaning that even a small source can build up in the soil and become a serious hazard.
Bracken's ability to collect these metals offers a way to mitigate or even "cure" contaminated areas. Researchers have already found that bracken can protect the edible fish Clarias gariepinus from zinc - even a few bracken fronds placed in the fish tank reduced the amount of metal in the water.
An collaborative project between an artist and researchers at Utrecht University has produced a space-age looking "fungi mutarium." This table-sized contraption acts as combined plastic waste disposal and farm. All one needs to do is place plastic waste in an agar cup and add mycelium from the fungal nursery. The result is an edible fungus cup and the destruction of the waste!
Other researchers have found that the mushrooms can be farmed using paper waste, coconut coir (fiber from coconut husks) and pine sawdust—all of which are currently causing pollution problems in Ecuador. Other possibilities include using the fungus to break down cigarette butts, or as a way of destroying the plant waste material left after rapeseed is pressed for oil.
Bracken's ability to collect these metals offers a way to mitigate or even "cure" contaminated areas. Researchers have already found that bracken can protect the edible fish Clarias gariepinus from zinc - even a few bracken fronds placed in the fish tank reduced the amount of metal in the water.
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| Oyster mushrooms can break down plastics (jhenning) |
Edible Mushrooms Eat Plastic and Oil
Oyster mushrooms (they're called that thanks to their flat, oyster-like shape) are an edible fungus that can be cultivated or simply plucked from the wild. What's less obvious is that they can break down plastics and oil... and amazingly, seem to still be safe to eat afterwards!An collaborative project between an artist and researchers at Utrecht University has produced a space-age looking "fungi mutarium." This table-sized contraption acts as combined plastic waste disposal and farm. All one needs to do is place plastic waste in an agar cup and add mycelium from the fungal nursery. The result is an edible fungus cup and the destruction of the waste!
Other researchers have found that the mushrooms can be farmed using paper waste, coconut coir (fiber from coconut husks) and pine sawdust—all of which are currently causing pollution problems in Ecuador. Other possibilities include using the fungus to break down cigarette butts, or as a way of destroying the plant waste material left after rapeseed is pressed for oil.
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| Chernobyl is dangerous to humans... but some fungi call it home! (Reznik89) |
Chernobyl Fungi Could be a Biobased Radiation Shield
When the Chernobyl nuclear power plant experienced a meltdown in 1986, it irradiated the site and surrounding area.Though the area remains hazardous to humans, explorers have found lack fungi growing on the walls and around pools of radioactive water. The fungi seemed utterly unworried by the high radiation—some were even growing directly towards the source.
The key to their survival seems to be the melanin that gives these mushrooms their look. Not only does this heavy dark pigment protect the fungus, it seems to be able to absorb and even harness a portion of incoming radiation. It may be that the melanin is functioning a little like chlorophyll, almost allowing fungi to "photosynthesize" using radiation instead of sunlight.
The ability to resist and thrive in the face of radiation exposure has let enterprising fungi thrive in a number of extreme habitats. As well as being found in the ruins of Chernobyl, fungi have popped up on the radiation-blasted exterior of space stations—in fact, these organisms may be useful as self-repairing radiation shield!
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| Mining can scar the land... (richphotographix) |
Gardening May Be the Future of Mining
Mining is a destructive, industry-intensive process that leaves scarred and contamination land in its wake ... but what if we could replace the normal mining process with gardening?There's a plant found on Luzon Island in the Philippines called Rinorea niccolifera. This humble organism is a nickel hyperaccumulator, meaning that it leaches the metal from soil. The ecosystems of the Philippines have sustained significant damage due to extensive conventional mining ... and these plants may offer a much more environmentally friendly alternative to conventional mining!
The idea is elegantly simple—find a plant that accumulates heavy metals and cultivate it throughout the mining area. As the plant grows, it will collect metal from the soil and accumulate it in the leaves or shoots. All we humans have to do is harvest and smelt the plants to claim the metal inside!
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| Waxworms can also eat plastic... (Kevin Grieve) |
Waxworms Can Melt and Gobble Plastics
Didn't t fancy using the mushroom farm mentioned above? How about a squad of very hungry caterpillars?Waxworms are the larvae of wax moths, and they infest beehives to feed on the wax combs. It was a lucky combination of scientist and amateur beekeeper that discovered their potential for plastic disposal. After a trip to the hives, the researcher noticed that a plastic bag she was using to dispose of the worms rapidly developed holes
Further investigation revealed the waxworms were the culprit—they secrete enzymes to break down wax that also work on plastics. It turns out that beeswax and polyethylene have a similar structure!
The broken down plastics are much more vulnerable to consumption and destruction by waxworms, fungi and other microbes. If the enzymes can be synthesized in the lab, they could offer a sprayable solution to piles of plastic that would otherwise last for decades or centuries!