Cannabis Can Decontaminate the Planet
Hemp and the Decontamination of
Radioactive Soil
Hemp
science is now advancing in leaps and bounds compared to the stagnation of the
previous few decades.
One significant area of research that is currently receiving particular
attention is phytoremediation, or decontamination of soil—although the
discovery that hemp leaches contaminants from soil has been known for some
time.
The Chernobyl phytoremediation project
For
over a decade, industrial hemp growing in the environs of the abandoned Chernobyl
nuclear power plant
in Pripyat, Ukraine has been helping to reduce soil toxicity. Now, the Japanese
are considering
following the same course in order to rectify the environmental damage caused
by the Fukushima meltdown—however, due to the Cannabis Control Law forced into
Japanese law by the occupying U.S. powers in 1948, hemp may only be grown under
license—which are highly restricted and difficult to obtain.
In
1989, just three years after the initial explosion, the Soviet administration
of the time requested that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) assess
the environmental situation. In the 30km exclusion zone surrounding Chernobyl,
high concentrations of various toxic metals including iodine, cesium-137,
strontium-90 and plutonium were found in the soil, as well as in plants and
animals themselves.
Hemp
has been found to absorb heavy metals from soil at a very high rate
Which Plants are
Useful in Phytoremediation?
In
response, it was decided that a concerted effort to reduce soil contamination through the use of
beneficial plants would be undertaken. This process, known as phytoremediation,
began immediately, and used various plants to take up specific contaminants—two
brassica varieties to remove chromium, lead, copper and nickel, maize to
take up lead (various researchers have demonstrated
the remarkable lead-uptake capability of this important crop), and more
recently, sunflower and hemp.
Sunflower
plantings began in 1996 subsequent to the development of a variety that
promised hitherto unheard-of efficiency of decontamination; hemp plantings soon
followed, in 1998. Slavik Dushenkov, a research scientist with Phytotech, one
of the organisations behind the hemp plantings, stated that “hemp is proving to
be one of the best phyto-remediative plants we have been able to find”.
As
well as in the Ukraine, much rural land in neighbouring Belarus was affected by
the explosion, and authorities there are also pursuing the use of hemp as a
decontaminant. The harvest produced will be turned into ethanol, as increased
production of biofuel is a key target for increasing the overall economic and
environmental health of the region.
The
Chernobyl exclusion zone, site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster, is slowly
being returned to health as plants and animals begin to reclaim the land
Differences in Metal
Uptake From Soil
In
2012, a Romanian study investigated
the nutritional safety of hemp seed produced from plants grown in soils rich in
calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron. The study determined that five distinct
Romanian hemp strains developed different nutritional profiles according to
uptake of the various metals in the soil. For example, the Zenit strain
exhibited highest rates of calcium uptake, while the Armanca absorbed least
calcium; the Diana, Denise and Silvana strains absorbed magnesium at the
highest rates, and the Zenit variety showed the highest concentrations of iron.
Despite
the differences, the seeds and oil of all five strains exhibited high levels of
magnesium, calcium, iron, manganese, zinc and potassium, all highly beneficial
dietary metals. However, all varieties also tested above the safe legal limit
for cadmium, a toxic heavy metal that may cause various health
complications—despite the soil being within the safe limit for cadmium
concentration. The Armanca and Silvana strains showed particularly high cadmium
levels.
Hemp and Cadmium Absorption
Excessive
consumption of foodstuffs high in cadmium can lead to joint and bone
deformities,
respiratory illness, anaemia, and kidney failure. In areas where cadmium is
present in the soil, in order to be safe for human or animal consumption, hemp
varieties should be selected on the basis of poor cadmium uptake.
According
to a study
into Chinese hemp strains conducted in 2011, many hemp strains have the ability
to absorb and accumulate even large quantities of cadmium in soil without
detriment to the plant itself. While this does throw up various implications
for selection of sites for cultivation of food-safe hemp, it also indicates
that cadmium-contaminated sites will particularly benefit from phytoremediation
schemes that make primary or exclusive use of hemp. Furthermore, even if hemp
used to decontaminate soil is unsafe for consumption, it can still be used in a
number of industrial applications, such as for biofuel.
As
vegetation slowly reclaims formerly inhabited areas, adding species known to be
effective extractors of soil-based heavy metals can aid in ecosystem
rejuvenation
Hemp is Mostly
Unaffected by Heavy Metals in Soil
Hemp’s
resilience to contaminants in soil is well-documented. Even as early as
1975, a study
published in the Agronomy Journal described how soil characteristics
influenced elemental uptake and could even affect final cannabinoid profile in
psychoactive strains. To illustrate this, fifteen sites with varying soil
profiles were planted with the same strain of Afghan cannabis, and their
harvests tested for metal content. Researchers concluded that differences could
be used to determine geographic origin of cannabis through foliar analysis.
In
1995, the Polish Institute of Natural Fibres released a study demonstrating that
tested varieties were able to withstand high levels of heavy metals in soil
without impacting plant growth, yield or fibre quality. However, little
research has been done into the safety of using fibres in clothing or other
forms of industry, and this issue must be investigated fully in order to
establish the possible uses for hemp grown in such conditions.
As
a proven, valuable tool in the fight to repair human-inflicted damage to our
soils and ecosystems, hemp could potentially benefit hundreds of thousands of
sites across the globe—it is estimated that in the USA alone there are 30,000
sites requiring remediation. As is so often the case, US restrictions on hemp
cultivation preclude any large-scale operations from being implemented, and the
contaminated sites are largely left unremediated, through lack of both funding
and interest on the part of the government.
From Sensi Seeds
@ https://sensiseeds.com/en/blog/hemp-decontamination-radioactive-soil/
Hemp is Being Used to Decontaminate Europe's Largest Steel Plant Site
Are we ready to fully
legalize hemp?
By Johnny Green
The hemp plant can be used to make hempcrete, which is a substance that can be used to build houses and other structures. Hemp can be used to make food, paper, and fiber. Hemp has even been used to make car parts.
Hemp used as a
decontaminate
Because of hemp's ability to pull metals from the soil, it can be used very effectively to clean up areas that are contaminated. One town in Italy (Taranto) is using hemp to clean up a contaminated area that has housed Europe's largest steel plant for a long time.
The steel plant, which opened in 1965, has ravaged the local ecosystem, pumping toxic levels of contaminants into the ground. It is estimated that from 2005-2012 alone, upwards of 11,000 local residents died as a result of health issues directly related to the steel plant.
“A long time ago, a choice was made to sacrifice this part of Italy, jeopardizing the health of the citizens of Taranto and its community and the biodiversity of the two seas,” said politician Domenico Finiguerra, according to Slate. “It was decided to sacrifice this land in the name of Italy’s economic future, supplying its industry with all the steel it needed.”
Hemp has been cultivated near the site of the steel plant for the last five years, with production increasing from 3 hectares to 300. About 100 farmers grow hemp, with the harvest being sold to manufacturers to be made into various products.
Hemp works, so why isn't
its use more widespread?
Hemp was planted at the site of the nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl, along with various other plants such as sunflower plants. Hemp has consistently proven to be the best plant at decontaminating the soil it is planted in because of hemp's tremendous uptake ability.
Unfortunately, the reason why hemp isn't used more often is entirely for political reasons. It's certainly not for scientific reasons. Hemp is non-toxic. According to an estimate from the movie Hempsters, a person would have to smoke a joint the size of a telephone pole in order to feel euphoria from hemp. To overdose on it is humanly impossible.
The fact of the matter is that opponents have fought hemp legalization at all costs because of the plant's versatility, and the likely dramatic affect reform would have on many industries. It's not coincidence that many of the same people that have historically opposed hemp also come from industries that hemp reform would directly affect.
It's a shame too, because science is clearly on the side of hemp reform. I don't know that I would go as far as some people and claim that hemp will save the world, but I do feel confident in saying that hemp could go a long ways in helping improve the world in many ways.
From Green Flower
@ https://www.learngreenflower.com/articles/172/hemp-used-decontaminate-europe-largest-steel-plant-site
For more information about hemp see http://nexusilluminati.blogspot.com/search/label/hemp
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Yes, Hemp is and always has been wonderful. Let's stop George Soros and Monsanto's plan to take it over and fuck it all up, please. Shall we?
ReplyDeleteAnother enlightening article,and useful information, so thank-you. Another reason why hemp is not being implemented to correct environmental damage? The Controllers don't want the damaged environment to be corrected. This action defies their plan to destroy the environment even further. They are just itching to cull us down, and using hemp would defy Agenda 21. Quite ironic.
ReplyDeleteHemp and cannabis are nature's gift to all of life. Because both are basically weeds and can grow almost anywhere with little care, the Controllers can't profiteer from the plants. That is why they are steadily attempting to genetically modify cannabis and hemp. Cannabis and hemp should be made legal all over the world. But then, the Controllers couldn't keep their privatised prisons full and their money-making lawyers and court fees flowing. And the jacked-up militarized police couldn't get their jollies off, attacking people
for growing what amounts to a holy weed.
Also, there is excellent information regarding the underground cleaning system of the fungi mushrooms. Crusading mycologist Paul Stamets says fungi can clean up everything from oil spills to nuclear meltdowns. There is so much good that humans could accomplish, sometimes I just imagine how life on this blue planet could improve vastly and in short order too, so it just makes me weep.But we must liberate ourselves from the 1%ters and their employed minions who are driving our species, and all natural species toward extinction. Love you.
http://discovermagazine.com/2013/julyaug/13-mushrooms-clean-up-oil-spills-nuclear-meltdowns-and-human-health
Aye - but note that those so-called 'controllers' are nothing to be impressed by - just those fearful dopes you know so well who never smoked a joint in college and looked down on anyone who did; they're simply conformist, beurocratic, braindead ignoramuses on a mission to be holier than thou, with no vision or ideas of their own.
DeleteAs Abbie Hoffmann put it, if we can't beat those headless dinosaurs we don't deserve to survive ;)