Method and apparatus for themicrobiological removal of mercury from contaminated materials,
OwnerGiuseppina Bestetti, Isabella Gandolfi +1inventors
InventorsGiuseppina Bestetti, Isabella Gandolfi, Andrea Franzetti
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Abstract
The present invention relates to microorganisms able to reduce mercury ion to metallic mercury; in particular, it refers to systems, apparatuses such as a stirred bioreactor and methods for microbiological mercury removal from contaminated materials, such as, e.g., contaminated environmental matrices, like soil and sediments. The contaminated material is mixed with selected microrganisms capable to enable enzymatic reduction of mercury in ionic form to elemental mercury.
Claims23
1-25. (canceled)
A method for the removal of mercury in ionic for from a solid or semisolid material, said methods comprising steps wherein:
- said material is mixed with at least one microorganism selected from the genera Aeromonas, Acinetobacter, Alcaligenes, Bacillus, Flavobacterium, Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus, able to reduce mercury in ionic form to mercury in elementary form, for a time and under conditions suitable to allow enzymatic reduction of said mercury in ionic form to mercury in elementary form, and said mercury in elementary form is removed from said material and wherein the material is not subjected to any chemical modification pretreatment of the mercury present as contaminant.
A microorganism able to reduce mercury in ionic form to mercury in elementary form, said microorganism belonging to the genus Bacillus.
An apparatus for biological mercury removal from a contaminated material, comprising:
- a bioreactor, apt to allow contact between said contaminated material and at least one of the microorganisms according to claim 13 for a time and under conditions such as to allow reduction of mercury in ionic form to mercury in elementary form,
- a forced ventilation system, apt to contribute a fluid for removal of mercury in elementary form, and
- a trap downstream of the bioreactor for trapping the mercury in elementary form once removed from the contaminated material.
A method for preparing a culture of microorganisms belonging to the genus Aeromonas, Acinetobacter, Alcaligenes, Bacillus, Flavobacterium, Pseudomonas or Rhodococcus, and able to reduce mercury in ionic form to mercury in elementary form, said method comprising the steps wherein:
- it is prepared a culture of said microorganism in a medium consisting of complete media, containing protein extracts, for a time and under conditions such as to attain an optical density of the culture no lower than 1 AU (Absorbance Unit), measured at 600 nm, corresponding to a density maximizing the reduction of mercury in ionic form to mercury in elementary form by said microorganism.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.