New method removes forever chemicals from farmlands cheaply
A Yale-led study presents an affordable method to clean contaminated farmlands using hemp, rock dust, and biochar.
A new process spreads basalt rock dust to loosen chemical bonds before plants draw pollutants up through their roots effectively. This approach shifts soil pH to make contaminants more available for uptake by nearby hemp and perennial grasses.
Harvested plants undergo heating to create biochar that destroys remaining chemical structures before spreading back onto contaminated fields safely. This step could cut chemical runoff by 95% while helping extract carbon dioxide from the air gradually.
Estimated costs reach around one thousand four hundred sixty dollars per hectare each year compared to traditional excavation methods costing millions. Farmers can keep working their land throughout the process without needing to shut down operations entirely.
Researchers plan to verify if modeled gains hold true when testing the approach on partner farms with various soil types. Real-world results will show whether these steps bring land under safety limits within ten years as planned.