Phytoremediation of heavy metals with creosote plants

US5927005A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The Board of Regents of the University of Texas · US

Inventors

• Jorge L. Gardea-Torresdey · Las Cruces, US
• Kirk Tiemann · El Paso, US
• Lori Polette · El Paso, US
• Russ Chianelli · El Paso, US
• Nicholas E. Pingitore, Jr. · El Paso, US
• William Mackay · Kingston, CA

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 9, 1997
• Grant date: Jul 27, 1999
• Expiry date: Apr 9, 2017

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S47/905
• WIPO field: Environmental technology
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Methods are described for the decontamination of soil containing heavy metals. In particular, these methods rely on phytoremediation using the plants of the species Larrea tridentata, the creosote bush. The methods are particularly directed at the decontamination of soil containing lead, copper, nickel and cadmium. The methods described herein are the first examples of phytoremediation using perennial plants which concentrate a high proportion of the scavenged metals in nonessential tissues, allowing the plants to be used continuously, rather than requiring repeated cycles of planting and harvesting entire plants in order to fully decontaminate the same area of land.