Purslane can decompose environmental bisphenol A can be used for the green purification of the environment

Portulaca oleracea is a purslane plant belonging to the purslane genus, commonly used in horticulture, as an ornamental plant. Recently, the joint research group of Osaka University and Kansai Electric Power Co., Ltd., led by associate professor Hirata, found that this horticultural plant can break down the environmental hormone bisphenol A that may cause endocrine disorders. Although there has been no evidence so far as to indicate the effect of the environmental hormone bisphenol A on the human body, scientists have shown that bisphenol A can cause male feminization in fish. A joint research group of Osaka University and Kansai Electric Power Co., Ltd. selected 20 kinds of horticultural plants, cultivated 20 horticultural plants using water containing high levels of bisphenol A, and used transparent plastic containers to observe the dissolution of water and soil. As a result, it was found that on the fourth day of the experiment, the content of bisphenol A in the water of the purslane container was close to zero, and the purslane plant itself did not detect bisphenol A. The team believes that it is likely that the enzymes in the roots of purslane break down bisphenol A. In addition, using purslane also achieved the same effect in the test of two other environmental hormone chemicals that can act on fish. This achievement was published at the annual meeting of the Japan Pharmaceutical Association held in Tokyo on March 29. The research team has applied for a patent on the research results. Future research groups plan to continue large-scale verification experiments. Prior to this, researchers have discovered that microorganisms can purify the environmental hormone bisphenol A, but the use of microorganisms to purify environmental hormone devices is too large, and management and costs are difficult to use in practical applications. The use of horticultural plants to remove environmental hormones is easy and cost-effective. It is a method of purification that is consistent with the environment.