THE  CHALLENGE

The remediation of contaminated soil and groundwater has been both technically and economically challenging, due to the heterogeneity and complexity of the soil-water interface. The challenges reside in the realm of in situ monitoring and achieving efficient mixing and effective interactions between the remediation agents and the target contaminants. The growing indiscriminate use of pesticides and fertilizers has led to substantial environmental pollution, as well as the emergence of additional problems such as agricultural pests, pathogens, and an increasing loss of valuable biodiversity.

THE  REMEDY

Nanotechnology, by virtue of superior properties leveraged by high surface area nanomaterials, has the ability to furnish the agricultural sector with systems to potentiate the effective alleviation of these environmental problems. The very fine 

size, high specific surface area, reactivity and versatility of atomically-architectured materials, enables them to infiltrate sub-micron pores in soil readily to remove recalcitrant contaminants and achieve a selective targeting of contaminants in complex environmental media.

Through nanomineralisation with nontoxic, biocompatible nanomaterials it is possible to acquire the following benefits:

•  incorporation of essential nutrients into the soil

• acidic soil pH remediation 

• enable plant growth 

• absorption/extraction of toxic chemicals and 

• the protection of plants from dangerous pathogen, without the need for harsh chemical pesticides. 

These benefits are attainable with very minute doses of well defined nanomaterials, that make the essential active agents in their composition more bioavailable, without negatively affecting the surrounding ecosystem.

ECO - RX

NANOARCHITECTURE : 2D-Material -  Atomically-Architectured Sheets/Flakes ( < 1 nm thickness)

SURFACE AREA (BET) :  70300 m²/kg

COLOUR : White Nanopowder

APPLICATIONS 

HEAVY METAL & TRACE ELEMENT POLLUTANTS: Non-toxic, ultrahigh adsorption capacity nano-biomineral, with low water solubility and high stability under reducing as well as oxidizing conditions. It is a superior fluoride sorbent and it is more effective than activated carbon and very efficient at immobilising and removing a broad range of metals such as: Cr, Pb, Cd, Ni, Zn, Al, Cu, Fe, Co, Mn, and Fe, amongst others as well as trace elements such as Se. Particularly, its more mobile anion, selenite.

• • 1g (0.035 oz) absorbs approx. 99 - 620 mg of Pd

  • 1g (0.035 oz) absorbs approx. 57 - 140 mg of Zn

  • 1g (0.035 oz) absorbs approx. 34 - 47 mg of Ni

  • 1g (0.035 oz) absorbs approx. 70 - 112 mg of Hg

  • 1g (0.035 oz) absorbs approx. 140 - 202 mg of Cd

ORGANIC COMPOUND POLLUTANTS : ECO RX is effective in the removal of reactive Yellow 4( RY4) dye, the adsorption of fulvic acid and nitrobenzene. The latter being a toxic and carcinogenic organic chemical, often discharged from effluents originating from explosives, pesticides and plastic production.

• • 1g (0.035 oz) absorbs approx. 22 - 104 mg of Yellow 4( RY4) dye

  • 1g (0.035 oz) absorbs approx. 96.36 mg of Fulvic Acid

NUCLEAR WASTE MANAGEMENT : ECO RX is effective in the removal of U, Cs, Sr and I, alongside other radionuclides such as Np, Am, Pu and Co. ECO RX exhibits higher reactivity to Uranium (U) than granulated carbon-based sorbents.

• 1g (0.035 oz) absorbs approx. 2088 mg of U

ECO - R1

COLOUR : White Nanopowder

SURFACE AREA (BET) : 35930 m²/kg

APPLICATIONS: 

• Increase soil pH up to the 8 - 10 pH range creating an ideal aquifer condition while also, reducing the solubility of heavy metals..

Heavy metal solubility e.g. Pb and Cd in soil at pH < 6 affects the bioavailability of metal species and their mobility in soil and groundwater systems. 

Most heavy metals are toxic to humans at certain critical concentrations, making a minimisation of their bioavailability and immobility in soil imperative.

• 1g (0.035 oz) absorbs approx. 2300 mg of Cd

• 1g (0.035 oz) absorbs approx. 2620 mg of Pb

• 1g (0.035 oz) absorbs approx. 1690 mg of Ni

• 1g (0.035 oz) absorbs approx. 2410 mg of Congo Red Dye (diazo dye)

• Soil amendment, soil conditioner

• Rapid & longterm stabilisation of lead (Pb) contaminated soil 

• Contains an element which is essential to most biological systems, which becomes available to soil and groundwater microbial populations during metals remediation, as an added benefit.

• Anti-pathogenic agent against Gram-negative (E. coli) and Gram-positive (S. aureus) bacteria,  the fungi Aspergillus niger and Penicillium oxalicum  ( ~ 150 - 250 μg/mL or 0.15 to 0.25g per litre)