University researchers and a village in Belgium are testing the potential of hemp growing for remediation of soil contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – “forever chemicals” that have long been used in a wide range of industrial and consumer products.
The initiative aims to clean up a location in the port village of Lillo, a part of Antwerp which has been contaminated by PFAS from firefighting foam. The village plans to eventually build a new fire station on the site.
“The (hemp) plant is not only good for our circular economy but also has the potential to extract PFAS from contaminated soils. Therefore, research in this area deserves our full support,” said Antwerp’s mayor and head of emergency services, Bart De Wever.
If successful, the cleanup method could be deployed nationwide across Belgium, according to Antwerp officials and researchers from the University of Ghent working on the joint initiative. Results are expected by autumn.
University researchers and a village in Belgium are testing the potential of hemp growing for remediation of soil contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – “forever chemicals” that have long been used in a wide range of industrial and consumer products.
The initiative aims to clean up a location in the port village of Lillo, a part of Antwerp which has been contaminated by PFAS from firefighting foam. The village plans to eventually build a new fire station on the site.
“The (hemp) plant is not only good for our circular economy but also has the potential to extract PFAS from contaminated soils. Therefore, research in this area deserves our full support,” said Antwerp’s mayor and head of emergency services, Bart De Wever.
If successful, the cleanup method could be deployed nationwide across Belgium, according to Antwerp officials and researchers from the University of Ghent working on the joint initiative. Results are expected by autumn.
In addition to firefighting foam, the primary industrial use of the chemicals has been for lubricants.
An alternative cleanup method to digging up and incinerating polluted soil, planting hemp appears to extract significant amounts of PFAS from the ground, storing the pollutants in the plant leaves. Under the process, those parts of the plant that absorb PFAS are destroyed, while the rest of the plant can be used.
Read more at Hemp Today