Research

We're excited to partner with Yale University in piloting a new strategy to address two pressing environmental challenges: PFAS contamination and atmospheric carbon dioxide. PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a class of persistent chemicals increasingly found in agricultural soils due to the widespread land application of contaminated wastewater sludge. These compounds pose risks to both human health and ecosystems, and remediation efforts have so far proven costly, inefficient, and damaging to soil quality.

Our approach explores how enhanced weathering (applying silicate rock dusts, like basalt, to soil) can be coupled with phytoremediation (using plants, like hemp and sunflower, that accumulate PFAS) and biochar production to simultaneously sequester carbon and remediate contaminated soils. The process not only captures atmospheric CO₂ through mineral weathering and biochar formation, but also immobilizes or removes PFAS from soil over multiple growing seasons.

We’re growing fiber hemp and sunflower this year in the hopes of demonstrating a scalable model where carbon markets and remediation funding intersect - supporting environmental restoration, durable carbon removal, and economic resilience for affected agricultural communities.