An international research team funded by the Royal Thai government has found that applying powdered seaweed to soil contaminated with the pesticide DDT can accelerate the breakdown of the contaminant. DDT was widely used from its introduction in the 1940s until it was banned in the United States in 1972.
It is still used for mosquito control in some countries where malaria is prevalent. The researchers, whose work appeared in the June 2004 issue of the Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, found that the optimal proportion of 0.5% seaweed by weight resulted in 80% of the DDT degrading within six weeks. The sodium in the seaweed loosens the soil, allowing microorganisms to reach and attack the DDT.
COPYRIGHT 2004 National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group
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