Lessoning Agriculture Field Water Runnoff Pollution

 Agriculture contaminants is one of the 3 pollution sources quoted in EWG's Tap Water Database: Pollution Sources and is one reason ElectroHemp has been sharing ways farmers can use buffer zones, filter strips with phytoremediation to lesson field pollution runoff scenarios.

Agriculture

Agricultural activities are one of the main sources of water pollution for U.S. rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands and groundwater. Each year, farm operators apply more than 12 million tons of nitrogen fertilizer and 8 million tons of phosphorous fertilizer to cropland, some of which runs off into water sources.

Manure is another important source of water contamination. It’s estimated that livestock produce up to 1 billion tons of manure each year, and runoff from farms and feedlots can be laden with sediments and disease-causing microorganisms. And many pesticides have no federally mandated limits for drinking water, which means utilities and their customers have no benchmark to know if the amount of a specific pesticide in water is safe.

Many water utilities in farm country are forced to treat water supplies to remove agriculture-related pollutants, often relying on expensive processes such as carbon treatment and ion exchange. Despite utilities' efforts, agricultural contaminants are detected in the drinking water served to millions of Americans each year.


Source: EWG's Tap Water Database: Pollution Sources

Natural biofilters for toxic metals

The following Science Paper highlights how ElectroHemp Phytoremediation Rafts can be used as Biofilters to clean pollution from water sources.

Phytoremediation Raft Infographic- Plants cycle water toxins when grown on Rafts

a wide variety of agricultural and forestry by products have been used as biosorbents of toxic metals in a bid to develop biofilters for specific applications Electronic Journal of Biotechnology: 

The added benefit of how ElectroHemp equips these rafts with Electrokinetics will actually increase the toxic contamination removal because of the forced migration of the toxins is directed towards the rafts and plants roots which growing on the Phytoremediation Rafts.

ElectroHemp Phytoremediation Raft designs can be designed to remove any number or combination of toxic pollutants found in water sources.

 Real Life Example phytoremediation raft design for the removal of Lead (Pb) from Water

A floating phytoremediation raft constructed of: waste tea leaves, Pinus pinaster bark, Olea europea, Acacia nilotica bark. Which has these plant examples growing on it: Kenaf, Water Lettuce, Alligator Weed create a combination of Natural Solutions in the detoxification of Lead (Pb) from water. Scotty, ElectroHemp 

Phytoremediation Science Paper link

• i) Cotton - Hg; Groundnut skins - Cu; 
• Tree Bark (Pinus, Acacia etc.) - variety of metals; 
• Agrowaste - variery of metals; 
• waste tea leaves - Pb, Cd, and Zn; 
• Pinus radiata -U; 
• Apple waste -Variety of metals; 
• Cellulose - Variety of metals; Rice hulls - Variety of metals; 
• Exhausted coffee grounds - Hg; 
• Pinus pinaster bark - Zn, Cu, Pb. Saw mill dust (wood waste)- Cr; 
• Freshwater green algae - variety of metals; 
• Marine algae- Pb, Ni; 
• ii) Sphagnum (moss peat) - Cr(VI); 
• iii) Immobilized Aspergillus niger, A. oryzae - Cd, Cu, Pb, and Ni ; 
• Olive mill waste Olea europea Cr, Ni, Pb, Cd, and Zn, Cu and Ni; 
• Streptomyces rimosus (bacteria); 
• Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast); 
• Penicillium chrysogenum (fungi), Fuscus vesiculosus and Ascophyllum nodosum (marine algae) Zn, Cu andNi; Phanerochaete chrysosporium, P. versicolar - Pb, Ni, Cr, Cd, Cu; Pinus radiata - U;
• Immobilized Pseudomonas putida 5-X and Aspergillus niger, Mucor rouxxi - Cu; 
• Actionomycetes, Aspergillus niger, A.oryzae, Rhizopus arrhizus, R. nigricans- Cd; Rhizopus arrhizus - Cr(VI), Pb; Rhizopus nigricans, Phanarochaete chrysogenum -Pb; Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus arrhizus - Ni 

Acacia nilotica bark serves as an adsorbent of toxic metals. Bark (1 g) when added to 100 ml of aqueous solution containing 10 mg ml-1 metal solution exhibited different metal adsorption values for different metals. The order of metal adsorption being Cr > Ni > Cu > Cd> As > Pb. A similar trend of metal adsorption was observed when the bark is reused (1strecycle) Cr > Ni > Cu > Cd > Pb and also in the column-sorption. In order to verify the metal removal property of A. nilotica bark, toxicity bioassay with Salix viminalis stem cuttings in hydroponic system augmented with Cd, Cr and Pb together with A. nilotica bark powder was carried out. The results of toxicity bioassay confirmed the metal adsorption property of the bark powder. The functions of toxicity studies include leaf area, root length and number of new root primordia produced per stump. The leaf area, root length and number of new root primordia increased considerably in the presence of A. nilotica bark. The order of metal toxicity for leaf area and new root primordial is Cd > Cr > Pb. However, for root length the order of metal toxicity is Cr > Cd > Pb. The metal budgets of the leaf and root confirmed that the bark powder had adsorbed substantial amount of toxic metals and thus, alleviates the toxicity imposed by the various tested elements (Prasad et al. 2001).

Quercus ilex L. phytomass from stem, leaf and root as adsorbent of chromium, nickel, copper, cadmium and lead at ambient temperature was investigated. The metal uptake capacity of the root for different metals was found to be in the order of: Ni > Cd > Pb > Cu > Cr; stem Ni > Pb> Cu > Cd > Cr and leaf Ni > Cd > Cu > Pb > Cr. The highest amount adsorbed was Ni (root > leaf > stem). Data from this laboratory demonstrated that Ni is mostly sequestered in the roots where concentrations can be as high as 7.30 nmol/g dry weight, when one year old seedlings were treated with Ni (2000 mg/l) in pot culture experiments, compared to 0.13 nmol/g dry weight, in the control. This proves that the root biomass of Q. ilex has the capacity for complexing Ni. Chromium exhibited the least adsorption values for all the three types of phytomass compared to other metals. The trend of adsorption of the phytomass was similar for nickel and cadmium i.e. root > leaf > stem. Desorption with 10 mM Na2 EDTA was effective (55-90%). Hence, there exists the possibility of recycling the phytomass. The biosorption results of recycled phytomass suggests, that the selected adsorbents are reusable (Prasad and Freitas, 2000).

Yes its faster and better than phytoremediation alone

ElectroHemp with the 5 stage green remediation process and system 

Addresses all of the concerns and issues of using nature to rid the soil of mankinds pollution.

Everyone in the know who has researched and studied phytoremediation understands that plants can be used to cycle the toxins from the soil. Its not rocket science and has been done for many years with success.

The information provided below is a collection of 20 weblinks, studies, and information on phytoremediation. Feel free to discover how plants can phytoremediate the toxins from the soil. As you are reading these prior studies and information you many notice that they all mention a few things: phytoremediation works, phytoremediation is a slow process, phytoremediation can be used on many levels for many different toxins such as Lead, Cadmium, Nuclear Waste, Thorium, Nickel, Arsenic, and more.

Realize one thing while reading the studies

ElectroHemp with the 5 stage treatment system and process speeds up the toxic removal.  This is accomplished by: Electro-KINETICS Year Round Toxic Removal by utilizing a Greenhouse, and additional dual harvesting options!

I mentioned its not rocket science to use plants to phytoremediate soil toxins.  Its actually pretty simple.  Plant a Seed!  Tend to the plant while it is growing by making sure water, nutrients, and sunlight is available for the plants.  Any Farmer, Landscape Pro, or Horticulturist can explain this process if additional information is needed.

What has stumped many industry pros is what drove Scotty to discover the disposal of the toxic plants in a eco friendly option that does not involve transferring the toxics to another location or the energy intense "fire burning" to clean the soil.

This next diagram is the Organic and Natural BioRad Hazardous Waste removal and the final step in the 5 stage treatment train.  This self contained insitu disposal system eliminates the hazards of transportation and storing the nuclear waste. 

The folllowing links were provided by Hemp Nayer who is also a Member, Leader, and Adviser of the Hemp Environmental Forum.  She gets it do you? 

1. Phytoremediation: Using Plants to Clean Soil http://mhhe.com/biosci/pae/botany/botany_map/articles/article_10.html

2. Phytoremediation with hemp http://rydberg.biology.colostate.edu/Phytoremediation/2012/Phytoremediation%20with%20hemp%20by%20Laura%20Cascardi.pdf

3. Hemp Remediation Study http://www.hempcleans.com/hc_wp/?p=163

4. Industrial Hemp for Bioremediation http://herbmuseum.ca/content/industrial-hemp-bioremediation

5. Here's a piece I did in 2010 Hemp Phytoremediation Program Can Help With Gulf Oilspill Crisis - that has some phytoremediation videos on it http://h4v.blogspot.com/2010/06/hemp-phytoremediation-program-can-help.html

6. A Citizen's Guide To Phytoremediation https://clu-in.org/download/citizens/a_citizens_guide_to_phytoremediation.pdf

7. Here's a study guide (proposed structure for conference topics) for the Hemp For Victory book http://h4v.blogspot.com/2010/06/hemp-for-victory-global-warming.html

8. Industrial Hemp Is Key To Clean Soil http://www.hemp.com/2014/06/industrial-hemp-is-key-to-clean-soil/

9. Hemp and the Decontamination of Radioactive Soil - http://sensiseeds.com/en/blog/hemp-decontamination-radioactive-soil/

10. Phytoremediation http://toxics.usgs.gov/definitions/phytoremediation.html

11. This is a $35 report Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) growing on heavy metal contaminated soil: fibre quality and phytoremediation potential http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0926669002000055

12. Phytoremediation: An Environmentally Sound Technology for Pollution Prevention, Control and Redmediation - An Introductory Guide To Decision-Makers http://www.unep.or.jp/ietc/Publications/Freshwater/FMS2/2.asp

13 The Use of Plants for the Removal of Toxic Metals from Contaminated Soil http://plantstress.com/Articles/toxicity_m/phytoremed.pdf

14. Phytoremediation Potential of Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.): Identification and Characterization of Heavy Metals Responsive Genes http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/clen.201500117/abstract

15. EVALUATION OF THE PHYTOREMEDIATION POTENTIAL OF INDUSTRIAL HEMP http://www.dushenkov.com/Pages/Phytoremediation/1999_Dushenkov_Abstract%204240%20.pdf

16. Hemp for Income, Jobs, and Soil Remediation of Nuclear Waste in Bridgeton Missouri and the Cold Water Creek area of the St. Louis Region http://blog.mohempenergy.org/2015/12/hemp-for-income-and-soil-remediation-of.html

17 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOREMEDIATION (list of their articles - networking) http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/bijp20/current

18. Phytoremediation and Fracking http://rydberg.biology.colostate.edu/Phytoremediation/2012/fracking%20phytoremediation%20by%20Amanda%20Shores.pdf

19. Phytoremediation (good one page flyer) http://www.architecture.dept.shef.ac.uk/studio2/stud0304/2004/projects/pdf/markholloway/17hemp.pdf

20. Phytoextraction of Heavy Metals by Hemp during Anaerobic Sewage Sludge Management in the Non-Industrial Sites http://pjoes.com/pdf/12.6/779-784.pdf

Also here's a playlist on some phytoremediation videos on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLuyaaCj3aFuj4T_Eu77Bjosmbc0UIa4US&v=uZOkKh1DPWw

The list of nuclear and hemp videos with a Fukushima focus is posted http://hempnayer.blogspot.com/2014/03/time4clues-playlist-hemp-and-other.html