Projects: Five Plant Species Tested for Foliar Effects of RDX Contamination
- Project Site
- Champaign, Illinois, United States
- Organization
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Contact Person
- Frank Hagen, email missing
- Purpose of Project
- N/A
A group of angiospermous herbaceous plants were assayed for symptomatic foliar changes in response to RDX contaminant levels found in soils of military ranges. Among five species selected for testing on the basis of RDX tolerance, only prickly sida (Sida spinosa) exhibited foliar symptoms upon exposure. At plant maturity red patches were produced in the leaf margins and interveinal chlorosis developed. Other members of the family Malvaceae are used to produce a red tea rich in anthocyanins. Because of these symptoms, there is potential for using prickly sida as a cost effective field and laboratory indicator of RDX contamination and for RDX phytoremediation.
- Project Durarion
- In progress since July 2008
- Project Status
- Continuing
- Project Media
- Soil: clay
- Contaminant categories
- Explosives
- Health/exposure concerns
- RDX is highly mobile in soil and groundwater, leading to potential exposure to drinking or irrigation waters.
- Phytotechnology mechanism
- phytodegradation
- Plant Species
- Sida spinosa (Prickly Sida) and 4 other sp
- Remediation Enhancing Additives
- none
- Project Scale
- Lab Scale
- Remediation Location
- In Situ
- Secondary Value/Uses for Project Land and Plants
- none
- Aditional Information
- Author has applied for a patent for this technology.
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