December 10 Meeting: “Introducing Phytoforensics”
Dr. Joel Burken; Missouri University of Science & Technology; “Plants as Bio-Sentinels to Mitigate Human Exposures: Introducing Phytoforensics.”
Abstract: Plants interact intimately with their environment. Although stationary, plants extract water, nutrients, carbon, oxygen and all that is needed to be the dominant terrestrial, multi-cellular biomass on earth. Plants concurrently collect and store chemicals and elements from the surrounding water, air, and soil in the environment. Phytoforensics is an approach to gather this information using novel sampling and chemical analysis techniques developed at S&T, offering not just screening, but long-term monitoring possibilities for soil and groundwater pollutants. Plants in the urban environment occupy the same environmental volume as homes and can therefore offer a quick, robust screening tool to test for potential human exposures and thereby provide reliable assessment of subsurface pollutants and an additional protective, cost effective protection of human health.
1 CEU hour will be provided.
RSVP deadline is past