Phytorecovery of metals using seedlings
AssigneePhytotech Limited
InventorsYoram Kapulnik, Burt Ensley, Ilya Raskin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems for alleviating the environmental and health hazards associated with environmental contamination by metals are provided. Contained living or non-viable biomasses of metal-accumulating plant seedlings deplete the metal elements and compounds in metal-containing aqueous solutions. Concomitantly, the contained biomasses of plant seedlings accumulate the metal elements and compounds. The energy and nutrient stores of the seeds from which the seedlings develop are exploited to minimize the costs of remediating the metal-containing aqueous solutions.
Claims12
A system to effect a depletion of metal in a metal-containing solution comprising:
- (a) chamber means containing a biomass of etiolated metal-accumulating plant seedlings, said seedlings not requiring external nutrients or external energy in the form of light or heat beyond the requirements to achieve normal germination temperatures prior to or during contact with a metal-containing solution;
- and
- (b) means for contacting said contained biomass of plant seedlings with said metal-containing solution comprising an inlet means for introducing said metal-containing solution into said chamber means and an outlet means for separating a metal-depleted solution from said contained biomass of plant seedlings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.