# Planted rafts cleaning up pollution



## chinwag (11 Oct 2017)

Wasn't sure where else this would fit;

I was looking for pond realted stuff and found this article from a few years ago on the BBC about using planted rafts to help purify polluted lakes etc.

I know it's an old article but I thought it was still an interesting read for those (like me) who weren't aware of it;

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20120925-natures-water-purifiers

I also stumbled across this article from the Smithsonian about using marsh plants/wetland systems for sewage filtration;

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/wastewater-problem-just-plant-a-marsh-139756791/

Possibly my favourite part of the Smithsonian article is 'sunflowers floating on rafts with their roots dangling in the water are being used to remove cesium 137 and strontium 90 from a pond at Chernobyl. The plants themselves become radioactive waste, which can be handled, and the water is cleansed'.


----------



## dw1305 (13 Oct 2017)

Hi all,
I spend a lot of time, on other forums, telling people that plant/microbe biofiltration is much more effective than "microbe only" filtration, but it is an uphill struggle.

It is a really big area of research, particularly in warm countries where you get good plant growth all year around. Have a look at the  <"phytoremediation">, <"aerial advantage"> and <"Constructed Wetlands"> posts on this forum.

Cheers Darrel


----------



## chinwag (14 Oct 2017)

Really interesting stuff - I've been reading about aerial advantage from stumbling across the Walstad method, being new to this, I wanted to start very low tech.

Photoremediation is new to me though, all really fascinating, although the more I browse these forums, the more I feel I need to resit my science exams!

How on earth does everyone remember so much science?!

I'm off to look up the difference between Nitrate and Nitrite. lol.


----------



## dw1305 (14 Oct 2017)

Hi all,





chinwag said:


> How on earth does everyone remember so much science?!


Google is a wonderful thing.

cheers Darrel


----------



## dan4x4 (27 Nov 2017)

This is awesome!


----------



## dan4x4 (1 Dec 2017)

I work for the local water and sewerage company and our sewerage treatment works ae doing this already, we have reed beds. 

The other thing we go thats "green" is we take the sludge make it into "cakes" its then transported to our gas to grid site. Where we create power from poo ha! 

pretty awesome how we took a waste product and generate energy from it either way!


----------



## chinwag (10 Dec 2017)

@dan4x4 That's cool! I love it when nature gets involved in more industrial processes like that.


----------

