Plants That Eat Trash!

Did you ever wonder what plants
eat? Mostly, they take things
that humans don’t want, like carbon
dioxide and manure, and turn them
into things that we do want, like
oxygen and food. We eat plants to
stay healthy, and we burn plants for
fuel. We even use plants for wood
to build houses, but plants can do a
lot more. Scientists are using plants
to clean up pollution. Plants can
help to clean air, to clean soil, or
to clean ground water.
The process of using plants to
clean up pollution is called
phytoremediation (fi'-toe-re-me'-
de-a'-shun). “Phyto” means plant,
and “remediation” means to remedy
or cure. So, using plants to help
clean up the environment is really
a way to cure our planet of
pollution that may harm us,
other animals, or other plants.
All plants help to clean up the air
by taking in carbon dioxide and
giving out oxygen for us to breathe.
Some plants, like spider plants and
asparagus ferns, can also remove
cigarette smoke and other pollutants
from the air.
Trees may be used to clean ground
water. The trees take in the dirty
water through their roots, and sweat
out clean water through the pores
in their leaves. The pollution stays
locked away inside of the tree until
it dies.
Pine trees have been used in the
southern United States to clean up
ground water pollution, because
they grow very quickly. The pine
trees can also be used for lumber.
Other trees that clean water are
eastern cottonwood trees, hybrid
poplar trees, and juniper trees.
Scientists have also used trees to
clean not only the ground water,
but also the soil. The plants soak
up the pollutants in the soil along
with water. In some cases, the
plants take the pollutants apart. In
other cases, the plants simply soak
up the pollutants and hold on to
them. Poplar and mulberry trees
are the ones mentioned the most.
Smaller plants like alfalfa and
ryegrass can be used as well.
Plants can also team up with bacteria
in the soil. The bacteria eat the
pollution first and convert it into
plant food. Then the plants soak
up what is left.
Using plants to clean up pollution
makes good sense, and the process
results in cleaner air, cleaner water,
and cleaner soils.