Using Hemp to Extract Heavy Metals
Scientists at Colorado State University (CSU) are researching how hemp can naturally clean contaminated soil. This natural process is known as “phytoremediation”. It involves using living plants, in this case hemp, to detoxify the soil through natural, biological, chemical or physical activities and processes of the plant. The CSU scientists say there are many reasons hemp has outstanding phytoremediation potential:
- It is a tenacious plant that grows just about anywhere.
- It is highly effective at extracting nutrients from the soil and converting them into potentially useful products.
- It has an unusually deep and extensive root structure.
- It is naturally resistant to insect predators, eliminating the need for pesticides.
Thanks to a change in the political climate, research opportunities for hemp have expanded. The researchers plan on publishing their results this summer.