• Question: Is it possible to make an invention that could suck up the pollution we make?

    Asked by SMACD to Stuart, Richard, Anais on 11 Mar 2016.
    • Photo: Stuart Atkinson

      Stuart Atkinson answered on 11 Mar 2016:

      Definitely, but it might be an unusual invention.

      For example, we worked with a lab that was developing planets specifically for planting in old war zones where the ground was polluted with residues from explosives. The plants had been genetically designed to feed off the material in the ground and clean the soil!

    • Photo: Richard Friend

      Richard Friend answered on 11 Mar 2016:

      I don’t think we need an invention for this, like Stuart says, there are plants that already do this! They can also be used as a method of mining – some plants can bioaccumulate heavy metals which are valuable but rare, so by growing the plants and then burning them to get the metals out afterwards not only cleans up the area, but means there’s an economic reason to do so!

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