Newly evolved superworms that feast on toxic waste could help cleanse polluted industrial land, a new study says.

They have been unearthed at disused mining sites in England and Wales, and they devour lead, zinc, arsenic, and copper. The worms seem to be able to tolerate incredibly high concentrations of heavy metals, and the metals seem to be driving their evolution.

The earthworms excrete a slightly different version of the metals, making them easier for plants to suck up. Harvesting the plants would leave cleaner soil behind.

The long-term aim is to breed and then release the worms at polluted sites to speed up the process of soil development and help kick-start the ecosystem’s rehabilitation. Plants could be used to extract toxic metals once the superworms have got to work. This in turn could boost the development of methods for using plants to mine metals.

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