It’s more likely than you think Steel production and chemical manufacturing results in toxic vanadium byproducts. After it accumulates in sediment, vanadium works its way up the food chain, starting with plants and fish, then other animals, and finally, humans. - Toxicity Vanadium is potentially carcinogenic and has been shown to cause neurological damage and developmental problems in children. - Natural water purification Researchers have experimented with “constructed wetlands” — artificial water systems that mimic the natural purification processes of natural wetlands to remove heavy metals. - Not quite efficient enough Constructed wetlands reduce vanadium levels … but not enough to meet safe water quality standards. - Enter fungi! Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form symbiotic relationships with plants by penetrating their root cells. These fungi bind with heavy metals in the soil, preventing contamination from reentering the ecosystem. - Power couple Mixing AMF with constructed wetlands can boost the efficiency of these water systems. In a first-of-its-kind trial, AMF-inoculated wetlands removed more vanadium than the control water system that didn’t receive AMF inoculation. - Looking ahead After promising initial results, further research will decide how big of a role fungi can play in sequestering heavy metals from global ecosystems.