În 1986, imediat după dezastrul nuclear de la Cernobîl, oamenii de știință au plantat floarea-soarelui în solul contaminat. Ce a ieșit din pământ acum, după 40 de ani

After the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, scientists explored using sunflowers to absorb radioactive contaminants from the environment. Experiments showed that sunflowers could effectively remove radionuclides from contaminated water, and this method was also examined after the Fukushima disaster in 2011. The process, known as phytoremediation, utilizes plants to eliminate pollutants. Sunflowers are particularly effective due to their rapid growth and ability to absorb elements through nutrient uptake. However, the effectiveness varies based on whether contamination is in water or soil. While sunflowers can absorb cesium and strontium, the transfer of these isotopes depends on environmental conditions. Harvesting the plants does not eliminate radioactivity, necessitating proper management of the contaminated biomass.