Optimally-controlled hybrid phytoremediation system

Patent · Tue Nov 23 04:00:00 EST 2021

OSTI ID:1860087

Yan, Y. Eugene; Martino, Louis E.; LaFreniere, Lorraine M.

A method for treating chemicals below ground is provided. The system includes contacting the chemicals with a rhizosphere to maximize transpiration rate and minimize over-saturation of the rhizosphere. Also provided is a method for using contaminated groundwater as a sole source of irrigation. The method uses extracting the contaminated water and pumping the extracted water to an irrigation zone under the control of an autonomous irrigation system. Each zone includes some trees and the root system for each tree is modified to function as a treatment cell. The invention also provides a system for treating contaminated water, using a contaminated water source situated below ground surface. The system uses a pump for extracting contaminated water from the water source and prevents the contaminated water from directly contacting the atmosphere above the ground surface. Vegetation which defines an underground rhizosphere is adapted to directly receive the water.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• Assignee: UChicago Argonne, LLC (Chicago, IL)
• Patent Number(s): 11,180,394
• Application Number: 16/588,154
• OSTI ID: 1860087
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English