For everyone wondering about how to handle hemp plants used for phytoremediation, we reached out to Dr. Sara and her response is posted below. (Remember there are no easy solutions when it comes to PFAS!)
We don’t yet know a lot about what happens with the PFAS once they enter the plants, and whether parts of the plant might be usable in products like fiber or building materials. This is a topic we would like to investigate in the future! It is unlikely that PFAS fully degrade in plants because the carbon-fluorine bonds that form the backbone of PFAS molecules are extremely strong and very resistant to breaking down. However, PFAS may concentrate in specific parts of the plant, leaving other parts usable. PFAS also do not fully degrade in compost. At the Loring Site, we have been bringing the PFAS containing plants to a landfill designed to prevent runoff of toxic chemicals. It is not an ideal solution, but it at least helps to get the PFAS out of the Micmac land and keeps them from spreading. Destruction of PFAS is a big issue because it is so difficult. Even incineration at normal waste burning temperatures is not sufficient to break them down.
For everyone wondering about how to handle hemp plants used for phytoremediation, we reached out to Dr. Sara and her response is posted below. (Remember there are no easy solutions when it comes to PFAS!)
We don’t yet know a lot about what happens with the PFAS once they enter the plants, and whether parts of the plant might be usable in products like fiber or building materials. This is a topic we would like to investigate in the future! It is unlikely that PFAS fully degrade in plants because the carbon-fluorine bonds that form the backbone of PFAS molecules are extremely strong and very resistant to breaking down. However, PFAS may concentrate in specific parts of the plant, leaving other parts usable. PFAS also do not fully degrade in compost. At the Loring Site, we have been bringing the PFAS containing plants to a landfill designed to prevent runoff of toxic chemicals. It is not an ideal solution, but it at least helps to get the PFAS out of the Micmac land and keeps them from spreading. Destruction of PFAS is a big issue because it is so difficult. Even incineration at normal waste burning temperatures is not sufficient to break them down.
What do you do with the Hemp plants after it removed the PFAS from your soil
Great Q! We just sent a note to Sara, one of the lead researchers for the project. Keep you posted!