Phytoremediation, or using plants to clean up metals in contaminated soils, is becoming a more common bioremediation method at a variety of DOE sites. Planting a ground cover over closed low-level waste sites for long-term stewardship is a very attractive option because of its low maintenance and the added benefit of erosion control. However, the effectiveness of using plants in such a way is hampered by a lack of knowledge of the fundamental processes occurring in the plant root-contaminant interactions. By conducting basic research into plant root systems, this research project will eventually lead to cost-effective technology for remediation of dispersed radionuclide/heavy metal contamination in soil.

We will focus on the root system and its associated microbial organisms, collectively termed the rhizosphere. Understanding and successfully modeling the relationships that lead to plant-microbe survival and plant-microbial interactions are key factors in successfully developing in situ biological remediation technologies. We will study three main elements of rhizosphere ecology: the root-microbe ecosystem, interdependent plant and microbe physiologies, and soil geochemistry that affects plant nutrition and soil microbiology.