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Fungi May Help With Asbestos Cleanups

Posted by timothy on from the repurposing dept.

Makarand writes "Asbestos cleanups are tricky as disturbed soil can disperse and make asbestos fibers airborne. Now scientists are developing bioremediation measures that involve allowing iron-gathering fungi to grow on asbestos contaminated soil and render the asbestos harmless according to this article in Nature. The toxicity of asbestos is partly due to its iron content and microorganisms can help by removing it from the asbestos. Also, the fungi bind asbestos fibers into a web making it difficult for them to become airborne. Identifying the asbestos-attacking genes and introducing them into other microorganisms may be the next step in fighing asbestos pollution."

4 of 31 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Good news by sprzepiora · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The technology has been around for a long time to use bio-remediation techniques for a lot of chemicals. They have been in use too, I worked on a spill once that was using "critters" to clean gasoline from soil. While it was working it turned the soil a nice shade of purple.

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    Stupid things kids do.
  2. Re:Good news --is it really that rare? by gene_tailor · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Perhaps you aren't reading the right sources? The newspapers *choose* to report on "pop-science", but that doesn't mean that that is all that is going on in scientific research!

    The scientists doing the routine baby-steps-forward type of work, especially in non-sexy areas of research, are not the ones getting the big publicity. With regards to this topic in particular, there are many scientists working on bioremediation efforts with biological organisms, including bacteria that metabolize toxic chemicals or "treat" sewage or oil spills, plants that absorb heavy metals, etc. Try doing some searches for more info and you might be surprised what is already possible.

    Disclosure: I'm a scientistst, so I'm biased to believe that many scientists are doing something beneficial for the world...

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    It also occurs to me that if one was drowning, yelling "Help! I'm drowning and I lost my bikini top" would probably be m
  3. Cleaning up... by DaveOnNet · · Score: 3, Interesting


    Did they also come up with something to get rid of the fungi once all the asbestos is gone?

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  4. Re:What happens by k98sven · · Score: 4, Interesting

    when that excess iron enters the food chain? People talk about GM crops, but things like this are where the danger lies.

    Oh, please.. get a clue. This is IRON we're talking about,
    one of the most well-known substances around.
    (our knowledge goes back to.. well, the iron age..)

    Iron does *not* bioaccumulate.

    Iron has a low level of toxicity, almost all cases of iron-poisoning are
    due to children swallowing large amounts of iron tablets.

    Also, the risk of this bacteria spreading is minimal. Being able to eat asbestos does not provide you with any evolutionary advantages.

    You might as well propose a ban on cast-iron skillets.