A major factory just sold a bunch of land to be used for wildlife or farming. Great right? There is only one problem. Nothing will grow in the polluted soil. They heavy metals, a toxic reminder of the factory that one stood here, kill plants, leaving a waste land that could remain unuseable for years. But now there is a solution. Worms! No, I don't mean the little earthworms that live in your garden. This species of worms, just discovered in England, have a special digestive system, so they can eat the metal rich dirt without dying. What is even better is that they leave behind soil that can easily be used by plants. The worms digestive system coats the metal with portein, so it doesn't hurt the worm. The metal is still toxic to humans, so no food crops can be grown, but other crops such as plants for bio fuels grow very well. This kind of worm still needs a name and quite a few studies to back it up, but scientist hope to one day breed these little guys and clean up polluted areas with them. And who knows, maybe the plants that grow their could be used to power the factory it recieved land from.
Owen, James. Heavy Metal-Eating "Superworms" Unearthed in U.K. National Geographic. 7 Oct 2008. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/10/081007-super-worms.html
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