Research Gives Trees an Edge in Landfill Clean-up
Published:06 May2021    Source:USDA Forest Service - Northern Research Station

A research team from the USDA Forest Service and the University of Missouri has developed a new contaminant prioritization tool that has the potential to increase the effectiveness of environmental approaches to landfill clean-up.

 
Phytoremediation -- an environmental approach in which trees and other plants are used to control leachate and treat polluted water and soil -- hinges on matching the capability of different tree species with the types of contaminants present in soil and water. Identifying the worst contaminants within the dynamic conditions of a landfill has been challenging.