Fungus versus the Bogeyman
Could relatives of the humble toadstool be useful in DU decontamination?
30 May 2008
Species of fungi that live in your back garden have been found to be able to grow on DU. In the process they are able to change it into a uranium mineral that cannot be used by other organisms. The research is at a very early stage but in future this may prove to be one way of decontaminating sites. However, while this may reduce the threat from chemical toxicity, it does little to deal with the radiation hazard from uranium - unfortunately for Iraq, radioactive decay still lacks a fast forward button.
