Unlike many hyperaccumulator plants that absorb certain metals but produce very little biomass, hemp grows quickly, produces large amounts of plant material, and tolerates difficult conditions. According to a 2025 review, it is emerging as one of the most practical and sustainable tools for cleaning soil in place.
Research shows that hemp can extract a variety of heavy metals from contaminated soil, including cadmium, lead, arsenic, copper, zinc, and uranium. In field experiments, hemp grown in soils with high levels of copper, arsenic, cadmium, and lead tolerated the contamination well. Many metals remained in the roots, while a significant portion was taken up and stabilized in the above-ground parts of the plant.
Soil amendments can improve hemp’s ability to clean contaminated areas. Adding biochar, a charcoal-like material, helps hemp grow better and reduces how much of the metals move into its tissues. Greenhouse studies have found that hemp can take up zinc effectively while biochar helps control lead and cadmium absorption. This makes the remediation process safer and more efficient.
Hemp produces large amounts of biomass, which increases its capacity to remove contaminants. The crop could become part of a circular bioeconomy by converting contaminated biomass into non-food products such as bioenergy while cleaning the environment.
There are challenges to scaling up. Harvested hemp containing heavy metals must be handled safely because it cannot be treated like regular crop residue. Different hemp varieties absorb and store metals differently, and soil conditions greatly affect performance. Long-term field trials are still needed to understand real-world outcomes and to develop safe methods for managing harvested contaminated plants.
Industrial hemp is proving to be more than a versatile crop. Its ability to absorb a wide range of heavy metals, combined with high biomass yield and resilience in challenging soils, makes it a promising tool for cleaning polluted land. While there are still practical challenges, research suggests that hemp could play an important role in sustainable environmental remediation.
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