# US 11,440,822 B2 · Methods and uses of dissolved organic material fractions for binding metal ions > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,440,822 B2 - Document ID: US11440822B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/017,894 - Filed: 2020-09-11 - Published: 2020-12-31 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2016-08-19 - Assignees: Noblegen, Inc. - Applicants: Noblegen Inc. - Inventors: Celine Gueguen; Vaughn Mangal - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440822B2 ## CPC - C02F 1/683: {by addition of complex-forming compounds} - C02F 1/62: Heavy metal compounds - C12P 1/00: Preparation of compounds or compositions, not provided for in groups C12P3/00 - C12P39/00, by using microorganisms or enzymes - C02F 3/322: {use of algae} - C02F 2101/20: Heavy metals or heavy metal compounds - C02F 2103/10: from quarries or from mining activities - C02F 2103/20: from animal husbandry - 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) - C12P: FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE {(brewing of beer C12C; producing vinegar C12J; producing specific peptides or proteins C07K; producing enzymes C12N9/00; DNA or RNA concerning genetic engineering, vectors, e.g. plasmids, or their isolation, preparation or purification C12N15/00; measuring or testing processes involving enzymes or microorganisms C12Q; measuring or testing processes involving nucleic acid amplification reactions C12Q1/6844; fermentation processes to form a food composition, A21 or A23; compounds in general, see the relevant compound class, e.g. C01, C07)} ## Abstract The present application discloses a method of binding a metal ion in water. The method comprises contacting the water with a fraction of dissolved organic material (DOM) to form a complex between the DOM fraction and the metal ion; and optionally separating the complex from the water. The present application also discloses a use of DOM for binding a metal ion in water. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of binding a metal ion in water, the method comprising: contacting the water with a fraction of dissolved organic material (DOM) to form a complex between the DOM fraction and the metal ion; and separating the complex from the water; wherein the fraction of DOM is a medium molecular weight organic compound fraction of the DOM (MMW-DOM) having a molecular weight range from 900-1800 Da, and wherein the DOM is from phytoplankton. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the method is for remediation of wastewater having a metal ion to be removed and the water is wastewater. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the wastewater is domestic wastewater, urban wastewater, industrial wastewater or combinations thereof. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the industrial wastewater comprises effluent from a mining operation. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the separation comprises contacting the complex with a microorganism to sequester the complex. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the phytoplankton is a Chlorella sp., a Chlamydomonas sp., a Euglena sp., a diatom, a cyanobacteria, a protist or mixtures thereof, and/or the phytoplankton is Chlorella vulgaris, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Euglena gracilis, Euglena mutabilis, Scenedesmus obliquus, Thalassiosira weissflogii or combinations thereof. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the phytoplankton is Euglena gracilis. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the DOM fraction comprises hydrogenated nitrogen containing compounds, wherein the hydrogen to carbon elemental ratio (H/C) of the compounds is greater than 1.65. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the DOM fraction is isolated from DOM by field-flow fractionation, ultrafiltration or ultracentrifugation. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the DOM fraction is isolated from DOM by a method comprising field-flow fractionation. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the DOM is produced under conditions suitable to obtain an increased percentage of one or more desired metal ion-binding compounds in the DOM fraction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the conditions comprise growing a culture of phytoplankton under conditions suitable to obtain the increased percentage of one or more desired metal ion-binding compounds in the DOM fraction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the conditions comprise one or more of a desired medium, temperature, light, pH, ionic strength and metal concentration. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the conditions comprise varying the light regime. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the metal ion is a rare earth element, a divalent metal, a transition metal, or a divalent transition metal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the metal ion is selected from Hg2+, Cd2+, Zn2+, Ni2+ or Pb2+. ### Claim 17 A method of binding a metal ion in water, the method comprising: contacting the water with a fraction of dissolved organic material (DOM) to form a complex between the DOM fraction and the metal ion; and separating the complex from the water, wherein the fraction of DOM is a high molecular weight organic compound fraction of the DOM (HMW-DOM) having molecular weights ranging from 1800-3500 Da or a low molecular weight organic compound fraction of the DOM (LMW-DOM) having molecular weights ranging from 150-900 Da, wherein the DOM is from phytoplankton, and wherein the metal ion is selected from Hg2+, Cd2+, Zn2+, Co2+, Ni2+ or Pb2+. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the DOM fraction is isolated from DOM by field-flow fractionation, ultrafiltration or ultracentrifugation. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the DOM is produced under conditions suitable to obtain an increased percentage of one or more desired metal ion-binding compounds in the fraction of DOM, wherein the conditions comprise growing a culture of phytoplankton under conditions suitable to obtain the increased percentage of one or more desired metal ion-binding compounds in the DOM fraction.