After the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, scientists planted sunflowers to pull radioactive material from contaminated water and soil; the flowers actually absorbed radioactive isotopes
- Representative imageAfter the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, scientists explored an unusual way of dealing with radioactive contamination by using plants to absorb radionuclides from the environment.
- Sunflowers emerged as a promising candidate because their roots can take up certain radioactive elements, including cesium and strontium, from contaminated water.
- Experiments near Chernobyl showed that sunflowers could remove substantial amounts of radionuclides from a small contaminated pond.
Unverified
- Representative imageAfter the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, scientists explored an unusual way of dealing with radioactive contamination by using plants to absorb radionuclides from the environment.
- Sunflowers emerged as a promising candidate because their roots can take up certain radioactive elements, including cesium and strontium, from contaminated water.
- Experiments near Chernobyl showed that sunflowers could remove substantial amounts of radionuclides from a small contaminated pond.
Sources: Times of India