CHEMISTS from Huddersfield University are turning to plants to clean up.

They are experimenting with plants which can clean up contaminated sites, making them fit for further use.

And it could be a massive boost for schemes to develop sites previously used for heavy industry such as foundries or chemical plants.

The research is being done in conjunction with scientists from the United Arab Emirates, where whole tracts of land contaminated with chemicals are being cleaned and cleared.

“It’s very much at the research stage, but it is exciting,” said Dr Paul Humphreys, from the university’s Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, who is carrying out the research with Dr Roger Jewsbury.

“It is an environmentally friendly method of cleaning soil contaminated by highly toxic metallic elements.

“The technique is known as phytoremediation and involves cleaning contaminated soil by using plants.

“They are able to soak up pollutants such as metals, pesticides, explosives and oils.’’

“It’s a much better way of cleaning a site than mechanical methods.

“Excavating huge amounts of soil is difficult, as it has to be put somewhere.

“Also, sealing the contaminated material in concrete blocks is far from ideal.

“Once the plants have done their work they can be harvested and the metals recovered, or they can be incinerated and the ash used for making building blocks..

“Some of the toxins that have been found in the United Arab Emirates include chromium, a metallic element with many industrial uses including chrome plating.

“In its metallic form it is inert, but variants such as chromium VI are highly toxic carcinogens. If they reach environmental systems they are extremely dangerous to humans and animals.”

Dr Humphreys added: “Over the last 10 years there has been a lot of interest in using plants which can soak up contamination.

“Certain plants have the biochemistry which allows them to soak up heavy metals.

“We needed to identify plants which can thrive in the hot, dry conditions of the Emirates and this is now the stage we are at.”

The university scientists are working with researcher Ayman Alyazouri and Dr Hassan Tayim, of the American University of Sharjah in the Emirates.