Effective Removal of Radionuclides Contamination Such as Uranium From Solution by a Weathered Volcanic Ash

Case Number: 1971PVAM03

Applications:
Waste Remediation
Heavy Metal and Radionuclide Disposal
Contaminated Water, Soil, and Sludge
Environmental Clean-up

Description of Invention:
Chemical industries around the world continue to produce and release thousands of toxins every year. The production, trade, use, and release of many synthetic chemicals is now widely recognized as a global threat to human health and the environment. As hazardous wastes continue to burden regulatory agencies, municipalities, and the industries that generate them, regulators are under increasing pressure to find new ways to treat, handle, and dispose of toxic wastes. TAMUS 1971 is a significant invention that will help in effectively removing harmful materials from soil and aqueous solutions. It utilizes chitosan, clay, and volcanic ash (including their derivatives and mixtures) to effectively isolate, stabilize, and remove toxic metals such as lead, arsenic, copper, zinc, and chromium, as well as hazardous radionuclides such as uranium.

Competitive advantages of TAMUS 1971 are:
          Low cost
          Natural materials --> biodegradable, no residual pollution
          Broadly applicable to water, soil, sludge, etc.
          Targets multiple hazardous materials
          Can be applied on site or as part of a filtration system

This invention has great scope into world-wide markets, which are only expected to grow as new problems continue to arise. It presents a great technical approach to hazardous waste management by eliminating issues with current technologies (i.e. harmful residues, need for transporting contaminated soil, etc.) and providing more permanent clean up, while still meeting current regulatory standards.


Inventors:
Dr. Raul Cuero, Prairie View A&M University
Dr. D.S. McKay, NASA

Contact:
Blake Petty
Business Development Manager
Office of Technology Commercialization
1700 Research Parkway, Suite 250
College Station, TX 77845
Phone: (979) 847-8682
Fax: (979) 845-1402
blakepetty@tamu.edu
http://otc.tamu.edu




Taxonomy: Bio-Remediation
Status: Exclusive Option

Patents:
Patent Number: 7,309,437
Patent Issue Date: 12/18/2007

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