In Washington, the first large-scale experiment to clean up groundwater on a Superfund site using microbes proved that probiotics and natural microbes can significantly help in the clean-up efforts. Using poplar trees for the experiment, the trees that had microbes added to the soil grew faster and larger than the other trees and also reduced the amount of trichloroethylene contaminant that is harmful to humans when inhaled in the air or ingested through water.
Researchers from the University of Washington hope that engineering companies can start using this new method soon to help clean up TCE, a known human carcinogen now banned but used widely as a degreaser and industrial solvent in the past leaving behind many contaminated Superfund sites. Even better, this method is often less expensive than past methods like excavating or pumping toxins from underground.