At an old steel site in Pittsburgh, bacteria evolved to survive – and eat – industrial pollution

Decades of pollution at Pittsburgh brownfields left bacteria that evolved to survive it – and maybe help clean up contaminated soil.

By: Catherine Armbruster, Carnegie Mellon University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: September 17, 2026

Words: 1,281

Last Updated: 22 hours, 55 minutes ago

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By Catherine Armbruster, Carnegie Mellon University

Across Appalachia and the Rust Belt region, including throughout the city of Pittsburgh, former industrial sites are being transformed into new neighborhoods, research centers and technology hubs.

But another transformation has been taking place beneath them for decades.

Brownfields are former industrial or commercial sites. Redevelopment there can be complicated by pollution. They’re often defined by what was left behind: abandoned factories, vacant land, …

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