One plant that seems to be taking the lead in testing the effectiveness of phytoremediation is the yucca, a hardy perennial known for thriving in nutrient-poor soil and in a wide range of environments. Medina s research focuses on yucca plants that were found growing alone in areas heavily contaminated with munitions at the Crane Naval Weapons Station in south central Indiana. He wants to determine why these plants are surviving and how much contamination they are absorbing. So far the results of his investigations indicate that the yucca plant may have a bright future as a phytoremediation tool. He has found that the yuccas are absorbing concentrations of RDX at a rate 10 times higher than that of other plants studied previously.
Munitions contain a lot of nitrogen, Medina says.
It seems the plants are using the nitrogen as a fertilizer. Medina s research will also reveal whether the yucca plants are degrading the munitions and converting them to less harmful compounds. Medina believes that if the results are positive, the yucca will open the door to treating some compounds that were untreatable before, including munitions. In that case, Medina adds, such sites as the Umatilla Chemical Depot, the Bangor submarine base near Bremerton, Washington, and the Idaho National and Environmental Engineering Laboratory in Idaho Falls could benefit.