Phytoremediation of soils contaminated with toxic elements and radionuclides
- MSE, Inc., Butte, MT (United States)
- Dept. of Energy, Germantown, MD (United States). Office of Technology Development
At many US Department of Energy (US DOE) facilities and other sites, surface soils over relatively large areas are contaminated with heavy metals, radionuclides, and other toxic elements, often at only a relatively small factor above regulatory action levels. Cleanup of such sites presents major challenges, because currently available soil remediation technologies can be very expensive. In response, the US DOE`s Office of Technology Development, through the Western Environmental Technology Office, is sponsoring research in the area of phytoremediation. Phytoremediation is an emerging technology that uses higher plants to transfer toxic elements and radionuclides from surface soils into aboveground biomass. Some plants, termed hyperaccumulators, take up toxic elements in substantial amounts, resulting in concentrations in aboveground biomass over 100 times those observed with conventional plants. After growth, the plant biomass is harvested, and the toxic elements are concentrated and reclaimed or disposed of. As growing, harvesting, and processing plant biomass is relatively inexpensive, phytoremediation can be a low-cost technology for remediation of extensive areas having lightly to moderately contaminated soils. This paper reviews the potential of hyper- and moderate accumulator plants in soil remediation, provides some comparative cost estimates, and outlines ongoing work initiated by the US DOE.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC22-88ID12735
- OSTI ID:
- 477267
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-950483-; ISBN 1-57477-011-X; TRN: 97:009354
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 3. international in situ and on-site bioreclamation symposium, San Diego, CA (United States), 24-27 Apr 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Bioremediation of inorganics; Hinchee, R.E.; Means, J.L. [eds.] [Battelle Memorial Inst., Columbus, OH (United States)]; Burris, D.R. [ed.]; PB: 183 p.; Bioremediation, Volume 3(10)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Phytoremediation of soils and water contaminated with toxic elements and radionuclides
Phytoremediation of Ionic and Methyl Mercury P