Planteco NEWS

PLANTECO is now providing innovative remediation technologies and products internationally through collaborations with Gulf Development Centre of Qatar, Al-Essa of Kuwait, Ntsou Projects in the Republic of South Africa.

In the Middle East, PLANTECO will provide innovative and sustainable remediation technologies for oil contaminated soils, sediment and water, including oil spills.

In the 14 Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) countries, PLANTECO will provide technologies for neutralization of military munitions, waste-to-energy, bio-energy, and wastewater treatment for reuse.

PLANTECO has been awarded an Indefinite-Delivery Indefinite-Quantity, Firm Fixed-Price Contract for FUDS Data Management and Environmental Services within the USACE Sacramento District South Pacific Division Boundaries.

Sponsored by the Department of Army, PLANTECO has been award through the Albuquerque District a technology demonstration & evaluation contract. Under the contract, PLANTECO will demonstrate and validate Rapid Chemical Degradation of discarded and stockpile explosive D (Picric Acid-Based Explosives) by MuniRem®. PLANTECO will also demonstrate and validate Rapid Chemical Degradation of Munitions in Soil, Groundwater by MuniRem® including bulk TNT and RDX. The Louisville District will provide program management.

This innovative technology can be used for in-situ treatment of munitions constituents in a variety of applications, including:

• In-situ “remediation” of MEC as residue or as a contaminant in soil and groundwater.

• Neutralizing bulk and residual contamination during demilitarization operations, as well as range and other activities where munitions constituents exist in pure state.

• Decontamination of metal casings at ambient temperature during militarization/demilitarization operations, rather than energy intensive thermal destruction.

Rapid Chemical Degradation of Munitions Constituents using MuniRem®

Scientists at PLANTECO Environmental Consultants, LLC and the University of Georgia, have developed an innovative chemical process for rapid degradation of munitions constituents. The reaction utilizes radical intermediates formed using some bulk reductants (dithionite [S₂O₄^2-], thiosulfate [S₂O₃^2-], hydrazine [N₂H₄], ascorbic acid [C₆H₈O₆] or sodium oxalate [C₂O₄²⁻ or (COO)₂²⁻], etc.) that are largely responsible for various contaminant transformations. Specifically, bulk reductants are used to generate free radicals that once generated react very rapidly with oxidized organic compounds, such as nitroaromatics and chlorinated solvents. Also, sulfide species generated during the reaction precipitate metals as the metal sulfides. Thus, degradation of oxidized organics and precipitation of metals is achieved simultaneously.

The very short cleanup time and closeout associated with this technology eliminates the O&M costs associated with other remediation technologies.  Also, localized hot spots in soils can be decontaminated without posing any safety risks to workers.

We have also developed an aqueous solution of the chemical reagent(s) that can be applied as decontamination “wash” to eliminate residuals from munitions cases prior to their recycling. The munitions constituents are completely degraded and potentially soluble metals are precipitated as metal sulfides.

PLANTECO has acquired the exclusive rights for Rapid Chemical Neutralization of explosive compounds, other oxidized organics and stabilization chemicals.

PLANTECO at Battelle Conference May 5-8, 2009 – Dr. Walter O’Niell and Dr. Valentine Nzengung are scheduled to give multiple presentations at the 10th International In Situ and On-Site Bioremediation Symposium, Baltimore Maryland, May 5-8, 2009. Find below the titles and times of their presentations:

• Use of Dissolved Organic Carbon to Biostimulate Rapid Rhizodegradation of Perchlorate in Soil. V.A. Nzengung and D.D. Yifru.

Valentine A. Nzengung

Poster: Wednesday May 6, 2009 – 5:15 to 6:45pm

• Innovative Strategies for In Situ Remediation of Explosives and Perchlorate in Soil. W. O’Niell and V. Nzengung.

Walter L. O’Niell

Poster: Wednesday May 6, 2009 – 5:15 to 6:45pm

• Nitrate Attenuation in Wetland Streams Impacted by Agricultural Runoff. V. Nzengung, K. Schroer, and E. Little.

Valentine A. Nzengung

Platform: Friday May 8, 2009 – 11:45 am

• Phytoremediation of N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and Perchlorate. D.D. Yifru and V.A. Nzengung.

Dawit D. Yifru

Platform: Wednesday May 6, 2009 – 2:15 pm

• An Engineered Green Technology for Treatment of Landfill Leachate and Wastewater. W. O’Niell and V. Nzengung.

Nzengung and O’Niell

Platform: Thursday May 7, 2009 – 2:40 pm

If you will be at the conference we encourage you to attend Dr. Nzengung’s presentation and poster session.

PLANTECO Environmental Consultants, LLC would like to invite you to visit us at our booth #641

At the SAME Joint Engineers Training Conference & Expo, May 13-14^th at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Dr. Valentine Nzengung, CEO & President and Ms. Catherine Knudsen, Vice President, Federal Programs will be there to discuss with you PLANTECO’s many sustainable innovative technologies that support a myriad of Department of Defense projects.

PLANTECO has received a Phase I Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency entitled “Use of Surfactant Modified Clay and Zeolite for Treatment of Perchlorate-Contaminated Water.”

PLANTECO will use surfactants to produce low cost clays (SMC) and zeolites (SMZ) capable of simultaneously removing perchlorate (ClO4-), organic contaminants and metals from freshwater and brines.  The award is for the six-month period from March through August 2007.  Successful completion of the project may lead to larger scale Phase II SBIR.

In support of this grant, PLANTECO has developed cost effective surfactant modified clays (SMC) and natural zeolite (SMZ) that are effective filtration media for perchlorate contaminated freshwater, brine solutions and process wastewater. 

These unique clays and zeolite are produced from widely available natural resources and provide a less expensive alternative to ion exchange resins, granular activated carbon (GAC) and other filtration products currently in use.

Applications of the Surfactant Modified Clay and Zeolite include:

• Stand alone filtration media to remove all major categories of water contaminants;
• Pre-treatment of the influent to ion exchange resin, GAC filters, reverse osmosis units and other related systems.  When used in combination with these systems, SMC and SMZ optimize overall system performance;
• Treatment for waste brine produced during regeneration of ion exchange resins and GAC currently used to treat perchlorate-contaminated drinking water;
• In-situ SMC sorption barrier for perchlorate contaminated warer;
• In-situ immobilization of perchlorate and other contaminants in groundwater;
• Sorbent for large volumes of perchlorate contaminated agricultural irrigation and industrial wastewater;
• Filtration and immobilization of leached contaminants from military training and testing ranges;
• Point of use filtration media for units installed in homes, hospitals and offices.

Planteco has entered into agreements with oil companies and foreign governments to provide green sustainable technologies to address a multitude of environmental problems, including bioremediation of oil waste bio- and phytoremediation of oil spills, re-vegetation of impaired lands and low-cost treatment of wastewater.