X-ray images showing the lead concentration in the stem and root of tobacco. EDTA aids in the uptake of lead into the plant. The lower concentration
in the root and the higher concentration in the stem show that tobacco is an efficient plant for removing lead from the soil.
"Heavy metals are very poisonous to plant life. Contaminated soil can cause plants to grow slowly, stunt their growth and even destroy them. Although
there are other methods of removing the contaminants, such as removing the soil all together and depositing a fresh layer of uncontaminated soil, they
produce a lot of waste and are very costly. Phytoremediation offers an inexpensive way to help clean up the soil that doesn’t produce a large amount
of waste."
www.nsls.bnl.gov...
Removing toxic chemicals from the soil without removing the soil is a noble cause. Simply growing plants on the toxic site then removing the plants
may be the answer the world have been waiting for to clean up the mess of the past. 
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