Contaminated air, water and soil. A problem that is almost omnipresent in the modern world. However, scientists are coming to understand that the solution does not have to be very technologically demanding in many cases. It just needs the right kind of plants. For example maples and pines standing close to busy traffic roads can capture dust on their leaves. Other plants are used in modern sewage plants. With their roots they remove hormonally active substances from water that can’t be otherwise cleaned. Scientists from the Institute of Experimental Botany intensely work on the research – one of their applications could be called plant pyrotechnicians.