<
https://atmos.earth/climate-solutions/how-toxin-munching-mushrooms-are-restoring-polluted-brownfields/>
"Environmental toxicologist Dr. Danielle Stevenson has been collecting soil
samples amongst the rubble and ash that once formed a family’s home in
Altadena, Los Angeles. When the near-apocalyptic LA fires scorched the abode in
January, the incineration of its old pipes and electronic goods likely seeped
carcinogenic arsenic and brain-damaging lead into the earth. Stevenson, a
blonde 38-year-old who wears protective gear over her clothing, has skin in the
game.
“The place I used to live burned down,” she said. But the Eaton and Palisades
wildfires—which collectively burned more than 37,000 acres, destroyed more than
15,000 structures, and killed 30 people—propelled her work into the spotlight.
“I was getting overwhelmed by messages from people saying,
Can we apply what
you figured out where our house burned down?” she said.
Stevenson works to remove toxins from contaminated soils by seeding the land
with native plants and mushrooms: mainly species naturally found at polluted
sites that can withstand degraded conditions. As Stevenson puts it, plants are
designed to pull nutrients out of the soil, which means they can extract toxic
chemicals, too. Fungi, meanwhile, excel at eating dead stuff; some decomposer
mushroom varieties could be particularly adept at consuming petrochemicals and
lead.
Her remediation technique is cutting edge, yet common sense. It’s also
effective."
Via
Reasons to be Cheerful:
<
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/what-were-reading-los-angeles-fires-one-year-on/>
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
