2024
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Vermiremediation
Metabolic Studio’s facilities were situated on an old Standard Oil site. The oil barrels leaked into the ground and left high levels of petrochemicals and lead (up to 730ppm). This project is an initiative to reclaim that land by tearing up the pavement, remediating the ground, and reestablishing an ecosystem.
I spent my fellowship engineering the microbiome of Lumbricus terrestris earthworms, who can cycle through 20% of the top soil they live in annually. Soil dwelling fauna are productive creatures when it comes to making physical, metabolic contact with the soil; especially when compared to other remediation techniques such as phytoremediation and mycoremediation. Because fauna are locomotive and possess internal digestive systems, they make a compelling case for agents of remediation.
About an earthworm’s gut:
- Earthworms host a unique microbial community, distinct from their surrounding soil. This is likely due to the anaerobic environment of the gut.
- Earthworms make genes to digest carbohydrates, proteins and lipids.
- Earthworms rely heavily on gut bacteria to digest cellulose and lignin.
- Environmental factors such as temperature, pH, moisture, oxygen, impact microbiomes.
- Like heavy metals, PFAs hyperaccumulate up the trophic system.
Disintegration Division