Researchers from Oregon State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently did a study with sheep feeding them TNT for over three weeks and found the bacteria that breaks down cellulose also breaks down TNT completely leaving no traces in the feces!
TNT and contaminated soils can be found in over 1 million acres of U.S. soil and can pose environmental and health problems through water contamination. Furthermore, conventional clean up methods are costly in monetary and time values.
The solution involves planting grasses in contaminated soils that will draw in the TNT and the sheep would eat the contaminated grasses. Then, the bacteria in the sheep would do away with any explosive material or residue.
Researchers indicate that a flock of twenty sheep could rid an acre of explosive residue completely in three years.
Evaluate, will this work? Why or why not? Are sheep the only animal with this capability? Research and discuss your answers in your wiki groups.
No comments:
Post a Comment