Maybe you are aware that thousands of people have fled Chaiten town in Chile after a volcano erupted for the first time in at least 2,000 years. Nearly 4,500 were forced to leave Chaiten as the volcano of the same name spewed thousands of tonnes of ashes. Many people were sent by boat to Chiloe Island and to Puerto Montt on the mainland. Some are staying in guesthouses, while others are being housed in schools which have been turned into makeshift shelters.

It’s been reported that the whole town will not be used for decades until the potentially toxic ashes are naturally decomposed and diffused into the ground.

Any ideas on how we could accelerate the breakdown of these ashes? Maybe there is a bioleaching process/ microbe that feed on volcanic dust…