The darker, taller poplar trees shown at the test site at the end of their third season were inoculated with microbes, while the shorter, lighter-green trees (center row) were not given the bacteria.
John Freeman/Intrinsyx Technologies Corporation
The darker, taller poplar trees shown at the test site at the end of their third season were inoculated with microbes, while the shorter, lighter-green trees (center row) were not given the bacteria.

Trees have the ability to capture and remove pollutants from the soil and degrade them through natural processes in the plant. It’s a feat of nature companies have used to help clean up polluted sites, though only in small-scale projects.

Now, a probiotic bacteria for trees can boost the speed and effectiveness of this natural cycle, providing a microbial partner to help protect trees from the toxic effects of the pollutants and break down the toxins plants bring in from contaminated groundwater.

Researchers from UW and several companies have conducted the first large-scale experiment on a Superfund site using poplar trees fortified with a probiotic, or natural microbe, to clean up groundwater contaminated with a common pollutant found in industrial areas that’s harmful to humans when ingested through water or inhaled from the air. Their results were published in final form Aug. 11 in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

“These results open the door,” said corresponding author Sharon Doty, a UW professor in the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences. “We have known about this process for a long time from our laboratory research, but it hasn’t been used in practice because there were no field results. Now, engineering companies can start using this in real life.”

Read more at UW Today »