Sunday, July 10, 2011

Operation Sunflower in Fukushima Prefecture

Just wanted to pass this along via boatsie on DKos:

...a group of scientists launch Operation Sunflowers, an experimental project in three locations in the Fukushima Prefecture. The hope is the sunflowers, fertilized with kalium which has similarities to radioactive cesium, will absorb large quantities from contaminated soils.  A visit to the sites early this month revealed the seeds are already sprouting in an atmosphere where radiation one meter above the ground radiation levels range from 7 to 21 microsieverts per hour.

Awhile back, the old man told me about Chinese brake fern and how, when it has absorbed arsenic from the soil, will repel bugs.  There is a science that studies and cultivates plants for removing toxins from the soil, called phytoremediation, and two of the scientists researching brake fern are developing it for use in phytoremediation.

So, anyway, I find this all fascinating and it is early on Sunday and I need to get up and make breakfast.  Coffee first!

Got the photo above from Deinha1974's page on deviantART.

2 comments:

jillian said...

My favorite flower! Go sunflowers!

Mistressmybae said...

Sunflowers are beautiful and I hope it helps our friends struggling in Japan.