Methods for removing pollutants from contaminated soil materials with a fern plant
AssigneeUniversity of Florida
InventorsLena Q. Ma, Ken M. Komar, Elizabeth D. Kennelley
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Abstract
The subject invention provides materials and methods for remediating soil and/or water which has been contaminated with arsenic, phosphorous, or other metals. In a preferred embodiment, the subject invention provides fern plants which accumulate arsenic from contaminated soils. The fern plants efficiently remove arsenic from the soil. The fern plants can be harvested and readily disposed of, or can be treated to recover arsenic.
Claims33
A process for removing a pollutant from a contaminated soil material wherein said process comprise the steps of:
- planting a fern plant of the family Pteridaceae on said soil material having arsenic as said pollutant;
- wherein substantial concentrations of the arsenic within biomass of the fern plant accumulate solely by phytoremediation such that the fern plant removes said arsenic from said soil material.
A process for recovering an arsenic substance or concentrating an arsenic substance, which is present in a soil material, wherein said process comprises the steps of:
- planting a fern plant of the family Pteridaceae on said soil material having arsenic as said arsenic substance;
- wherein substantial concentrations of the arsenic substance accumulate within biomass of said fern plant solely by phytoremediation such that said fern plant removes said arsenic substance from said soil material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.