With the help of trees, soils polluted with microplastics could be cleaned up. For the first time, researchers led by the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) have shown that the silver birch absorbs microplastics through its roots during the growth phase. This is good news, because soils are many times more polluted with microplastics than seas and oceans.
In this pilot study, microplastic beads (5–50 μm) were tagged with fluorescent dye and introduced to the soil of potted Betula pendula Roth. (silver birch) saplings during the growing season. After five months, root samples were examined using fluorescence- and confocal laser scanning microscopy. This paper presents the first documented indication of the incorporation of microplastic into root tissues of woody plants and discusses the phytoremediation potential of birch in soil with microplastic contamination.
Conclusions
The results of this pilot study demonstrate that the uptake and storage of microplastics in birch trees warrants further study. For instance, indications from wheat and lettuce studies exposed to smaller particle sizes of 0.2 μm–2 μm suggest that rates of microplastic inclusion in the submicrometre size range in birch tree roots may be significantly higher (Li et al., 2020a). The inclusion of microplastic beads into the root tissue gives a positive indication that other micro-and nano-sized particles arising from the breakdown of plastics in the environment could be incorporated into tree roots. Depending upon further study into the rate of uptake and its effect on short- and long-term tree health, and given the remediation potential of birch for other soil-based pollutants, we posit the potential of birch for long-term soil remediation solutions. Our findings lay the foundation for investigation of the role of birch trees in phytoremediation not only for sites with chemical contamination, but now also for those with substantial microplastic pollution.
BTW Silver Birch is also the name of a Swiss band…
Save our Soils
Conscious Planet is a Global Movement to initiate a conscious approach to soil and planet. The movement seeks to show governments of all nations that their citizens want a policy to revitalize soil and ecology. To activate and demonstrate the support of over 3 billion citizens, Sadhguru will be riding a motorcycle alone, 30,000 kilometers across 26 nations. The rally will start in London and end in southern India, where the Cauvery Calling project, initiated by Sadhguru, has enabled 125,000 farmers to plant 62 million trees to revive soil and river Cauvery. Activating citizen participation will ensure that ecological issues become election issues, so that governments create policies and set budgets for ecological solutions, leading to sustained implementation. Find out more at https://www.consciousplanet.org
Save the Soil to Save the Environment
Ensuring that our soil is rich and fertile is key to avoiding an ecological disaster. Sadhguru explains the importance of soil revitalization and shares five methods we can use to save the soil.
https://isha.sadhguru.org/in/en/wisdom/article/save-the-soil-revitalization-methods
Please tell us your opinion. Is it good or bad that trees can “eat” the micro-plastic?
What happens when you burn a tree that contains micro-plastic? Will it produce nano-plastic which can go through our lungs into our brains?
