﻿ Pollution l Blacksmith Institute l Earth Day 2010 - Chromium




The heavy metal chromium, a common by-product of leather tanning and metals manufacturing, can be a long-term hazard for communities where environmental regulation is weak. Chromium easily penetrates groundwater supplies (as dramatized in the film "Erin Brockovich") and causes cancer, hormone disruption, and birth defects. The toxin's persistence can threaten a region's entire future and economic potential.



worm casting in Muthia, India

Blacksmith Institute knows that sometimes nature's own methods are good solutions to toxic waste. We have had great success using bioremediation: pollutant cleanup by lifeforms.

To protect an Indian village of 7,000 people, our field technicians introduced special colonies of worms and bacteria to pollution dumping grounds. The worms consumed and concentrated heavy metals within their bodies, stopping the flow of toxins into water sources, and the bacteria caused biochemical reactions that decayed and neutralized the waste. These proven techniques can be duplicated worldwide, saving lives each time.


 Read more about our successful cleanup in Muthia, India.
