# US 10,865,129 B2 · Phytoremediation treatment system and containerized method of treating pollutants in water > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,865,129 B2 - Document ID: US10865129B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/291,321 - Filed: 2019-03-04 - Published: 2020-09-10 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2019-03-04 - Applicants: Louis A. Licht - Inventors: Louis A. Licht - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10865129B2 ## CPC - C02F 3/32: characterised by the animals or plants used, e.g. algae - C02F 3/327: {characterised by animals and plants} - C02F 1/001: {Processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance (C02F1/44 takes precedence; construction of filters in general B01D24/00 - B01D41/00)} - C02F 1/281: {using inorganic sorbents} - C02F 1/283: {using coal, charred products, or inorganic mixtures containing them} - C02F 1/006: {Water distributors either inside a treatment tank or directing the water to several treatment tanks; Water treatment plants incorporating these distributors, with or without chemical or biological tanks (for settling tanks B01D21/24)} - C02F 3/04: using trickle filters - C02F 2101/16: Nitrogen compounds, e.g. ammonia - C02F 2101/30: Organic compounds - C02F 2101/322: {Volatile compounds, e.g. benzene} - C02F 2101/36: containing halogen - C02F 2305/06: Nutrients for stimulating the growth of microorganisms - Y02W 10/10: Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage - Y02W 10/37: using solar energy - C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes) - Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT ## Abstract A scalable and moveable phytoremediation cell and system that uses perlite medium surrounding a poplar or willow tree root zone in a cell that results in excellent organic and mineral pollutant treatment. COC removal is achieved by pollutant sorption, increased microbial mineralization activity, fluctuating redox potential, and achieving faster break down of pollutants to achieve regulated water quality standards. The cell reactor system uses photosynthesis and rhizosphere dynamics to create a predictable reactor into carbon-rich microbial biomass mass to remove waste water pollutants (COC). The cell uses <10% of the energy required for alternative tertiary treatment system. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A waste water, scalable and movable phytoremediation cell, comprising an expandable bag container of non-biodegradable material; said expandable bag container having an open top, and a bottom with a drain outlet adjacent said expandable bag container bottom; said expandable bag container being filled with a mixture of perlite medium and roots of cuttings of the Salicaceae family; said expandable bag container being filled with roots from an entire planted Salicaceae stem inserted into the perlite medium from the open top surface to the container bottom; said cuttings having stems extending from the roots and protruding from the top of said container. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cell of claim 1 wherein the expandable bag container is a bag comprising a material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene and polypropylene. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The cell of claim 2 included in a system that includes a plurality of said bags operating in parallel to achieve a higher capacity. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The cell of claim 3 which includes a mechanical disc prefilter through which water with COCs passes before entering any of said bags. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The cell of claim 3 which includes a computer to control flow rate, dwell time and effluent temperature. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The cell of claim 1 wherein the perlite medium has a dry density within the range of 5 to 9 pounds per cubic foot. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The cell of claim 1 wherein the perlite density is about 7 pounds per cubic foot. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The cell of claim 1 wherein the perlite medium includes perlite blended with other material selected from the group consisting of soil, gravel, compost, biochar, activated charcoal and zero valent iron. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The cell of claim 8 which includes within the perlite medium root nutrients and microbe inoculum. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The phytoremediation cell of claim 1 wherein the perlite medium has at least a 60% porosity. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The phytoremediation cell of claim 1 wherein the perlite medium has a porosity within the range of 40% to 86%. ### Claim 12 A method of COC water cleanup comprising; collecting COC water; passing said collected COC water through a phytoremediation expandable bag container filled with cuttings of the Salicaceae family having stems and roots extending throughout a perlite medium containing said stems and roots to produce a contaminate reduced COC water; and collecting the contaminate reduced COC water, which meets clean water standards for pollutant reduction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the perlite medium has a dry density within the range of 5 to 9 pounds cubic foot. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the perlite density is about 7 pounds per cubic foot. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the perlite medium includes perlite blended with other material selected from the group consisting of soil, gravel, compost, biochar, activated charcoal and zero valent iron. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 which includes within the perlite medium root nutrients and microbe inoculum. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the perlite medium has at least a 60% porosity. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the perlite medium has a porosity within the range of 40% to 86%.