In-situ remediation of contaminated soils
AssigneeMonsanto Company
InventorSa Van Ho
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process for the in situ remediation of soil comprising introducing at least one co-metabolite for treating contaminants in a contaminated soil region into the contaminated soil region wherein the source of the at least one co-metabolite is at least one root zone located within the contaminated soil region, wherein each root zone contains the root system of a plurality of plants capable of releasing the at least one co-metabolite, and transmitting direct electric current through the contaminated soil region between a first electrode and a second electrode having opposite charge, wherein the first electrode is located at a first end of the contaminated soil region and the second electrode is located at the opposite end of the contaminated soil region.
Claims24
A process for the in-situ remediation of soil comprising:
- (a) introducing at least one co-metabolite for treating contaminants in a contaminated soil region into said contaminated soil region wherein the source of said at least one co-metabolite is at least one root zone located within said contaminated soil region, wherein each said root zone contains the root system of a plurality of plants capable of releasing said at least one co-metabolite, and
- (b) transmitting direct electric current through said contaminated soil region between a first electrode and a second electrode having opposite charge, wherein said first electrode is located at a first end of said contaminated soil region and said second electrode is located at the opposite end of said contaminated soil region (1) to cause an electroosmotic flow from said second electrode to said first electrode, (2) to cause an electromigratory movement of ionic contaminants in a direction toward the electrode of opposite charge, or (3) to cause an electroosmotic flow from said second electrode to said first electrode and an electromigratory movement of ionic contaminants in a direction toward the electrode of opposite charge.
A process for the in-situ remediation of soil comprising:
- (a) transmitting direct electric current through said contaminated soil region between a first electrode and a second electrode having opposite charge, wherein said first electrode is located at a first end of said contaminated soil region and said second electrode is located at the opposite end of said contaminated soil region (1) to cause an electroosmotic flow from said second electrode to said first electrode, (2) to cause an electromigratory movement of ionic contaminants in a direction toward the electrode of opposite charge, or (3) to cause an electroosmotic flow from said second electrode to said first electrode and an electromigratory movement of ionic contaminants in a direction toward the electrode of opposite charge, wherein said contaminated soil region contains at least one root zone containing microorganisms and co-metabolites, wherein each said root zone contains the root system of a plurality of plants which release co-metabolites for treating contaminants in said contaminated soil region;
- and
- (b) periodically reversing the polarity of said first and second electrodes to reverse the direction of movement of said contaminants through said contaminated soil region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.