Trees Used to Clean up Soil and Water

The Great Plains-Rocky Mountain HSRC has developed an effective process of using trees to clean up polluted soil and water. This process, known as phytoremediation, has proven very promising at sites containing heavy metals, as well as organics, nutrients, and mixes of these three pollutants.

Trees planted on these sites actually take up contaminants and retain them or convert them into harmless substances. In some cases, phytoremediation continues clean-up long after mechanical systems have exhausted their effectiveness. Use of poplar trees has produced savings of from $50,000 to $100,000 per acre at municipal sites.

For further information, contact:
Blase Leven
Program Manager
Community Outreach, Technology Transfer and Center Administration
104 Ward Hall
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS 66506
Phone: (785) 532-6519
Fax: (785) 532-5985
E-mail: baleven@ksu.edu