• Ever since the environment became a hot-button issue, there have been suggestions for how to clean up pollutants. One method of doing so in a natural way is called phytoremediation, which is the use of growing plants in a certain area to purify the soil and leech out the polluting chemicals. This can also be done to help reverse water pollution in many areas, including both groundwater and surface water.
  
  

Poplars

• One phytoremediation project that's been under way for years is taking place in Carswell, Texas. At the United States Air Force base in the town, poplars are being grown to help purify the area of TCE, or trichlorethylene. TCE is a common industrial solvent that has infected not only the soil, but the groundwater in Carswell. The Air Force, in an attempt to mitigate and clean up the area, planted large numbers of the trees. So far the phytoremediation is having a notable effect, though the project is by no means over yet.
  
  

Cattails

• More recently, cattails have proven to be a powerful instrument in phytoremediation. In swamps and other wetlands in Florida, cattails are being allowed to thrive in areas that have been contaminated by large amounts of phosphorous as a result of fertilizer runoff. The cattails absorb the additional phosphorous as they grow, and when placed strategically they can also act as a plant barrier to make sure that more runoff doesn't seep further into the Everglades. Though it's theorized that cattails could absorb other contaminants from water, testing is still under way, according to Cleantechnica.com.
  
  

Sunflowers

• Though their seeds are a popular snack, sunflowers have a great deal of potential to fight pollution. The sunflower is what's called a hyper-accumulating plant, which means it can thrive off of levels of heavy metals and other chemicals that would be toxic to other plants. Sunflowers that have been hydroponically grown are currently being used in Russia to help clean up the water sources around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor site. For those who are unfamiliar with it, Chernobyl is a lethally polluted area, both with toxins and with radiation, yet these sunflowers seem to be slowly purifying the area they're planted in.