Maine’s Hemp Research Tackles Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’.
Since the re-legalization of hemp cultivation in the United States in 2018, the plant has gained attention for its unique benefits. This resurgence in domestic production has significantly contributed to the growing CBD market.
In a remote area of Maine, hemp is at the center of innovative research aimed at addressing a serious environmental challenge: removing toxic chemicals known as PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” from contaminated soil.
These resilient plants, characterized by their thick roots, have the ability to absorb toxic substances into their shoots and can grow rapidly within two to three months. Hemp is also water-efficient, does not shed leaves or stems that could become contaminated, and is not a food source for animals. This makes it easier to plant dense clusters of hemp with fewer resources while minimizing the risk of recontaminating the area or food supply.
Indigenous researchers from the Aroostook Band of Micmacs have been instrumental in this project at Loring Air Force Base, located near the Canadian border in Limestone, Maine. In 2019, researcher Chelli Stanley collaborated with Vice Chief Richard Silliboy to establish Upland Grassroots, a project dedicated to using hemp to extract PFAS from the soil. By 2020, their efforts had demonstrated that hemp successfully removed some of these persistent toxins.
The process of using plants to clean soil, known as phytoremediation, has generated excitement among researchers. Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded the project a $1.6 million grant to further explore this vital research and experiment with cultivating crops that can resist PFAS pollution.
“These forever chemicals are now everywhere, pretty much ubiquitous in the environment,” said Bryan Berger, a chemical engineer and professor at the University of Virginia, who began collaborating with the Micmac tribe three years ago.
PFAS can be found in nonstick cookware, firefighter foam, and various plastic products. They are notoriously difficult to break down, posing a risk to millions of acres of farmland. Their accumulation in soil and water has been linked to serious health issues, including cancer and liver damage.
Hemp has long been recognized for its ability to improve soil quality. Research has shown that it can effectively remove harmful metals like copper, cadmium, nickel, lead, and chromium from contaminated areas. The use of hemp for remediation has been successful worldwide, including in places like Chernobyl, where biologist Ilya Raskin utilized mustard plants for similar purposes and coined the term phytoremediation.
When the Micmacs were granted the Loring Base in 2009, it continued a troubling legacy of Indigenous Americans receiving substandard land due to discrimination. In this case, they inherited a federal Superfund site contaminated by firefighting foam and hazardous chemicals. Despite not being responsible for the contamination, the tribe has actively sought ways to restore the land.
“Having the earth as clean as possible is the responsibility of all Native Americans,” Vice Chief Silliboy stated in a 2020 interview. “The ground is being abused by companies dumping waste everywhere. It’s a serious concern for tribes across the country, and it’s up to Native Americans to care for Mother Earth.”
The tribe’s extensive knowledge of agriculture and native plants has equipped them with valuable insights for the cleanup effort. The PFAS pollution poses a potential threat to culturally significant plants, such as ash wood used for basket weaving.
The project has faced logistical challenges. Growing hemp on polluted land necessitated trucking in water to avoid further contamination. Researchers also needed to wear personal protective equipment to prevent skin contact with PFAS.
Berger identifies three key challenges in applying phytoremediation to address the PFAS issue both locally and nationwide. First, researchers must detect the chemicals. Then, hemp can absorb the toxins from the soil. Finally, the disposal of PFAS-contaminated hemp plants has hindered broader cleanup efforts.
Researchers are currently exploring various disposal methods, including thermal techniques, chemical treatments, and the use of modified microbes and fungi to break down the chemicals. However, scaling these methods presents its own challenges; Berger notes that cleaning a 100-acre broccoli farm could take weeks due to the volume of hemp that would need to be disposed of.
Ideally, once researchers establish effective methods for disposing of contaminated hemp, they can improve techniques for detecting and remediating PFAS. Northern Maine is a significant agricultural region focused on potato farming, and Berger envisions a crop rotation system using hemp to eliminate soil toxins.
“Our goal is to create a protocol, a kind of recipe,” Berger explains. “If a farmer contacted me, I could provide hemp seeds and guidelines. By following the protocol, they could use it to help remediate their soil.”
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