Natural treatment systems can provide a low-cost, environmentally-friendly, and effective treatment alternative when appropriate for many groundwater and/or wastewater contaminants. ERC researchers are developing a suite of natural treatment systems (with special emphasis on phytoremediation and constructed wetlands) through fundamental and applied research that address process optimization and engineering issues. Missouri industry (e.g., lead mining companies) significantly benefits from these activities and developments.

                                                                              Current Projects in the ERC:  

The Burken research group is studying how to use plants such as poplar trees to remediate groundwater of a wide range of organic contaminants using phytoremediation technology.Several recent, important findings have increased the number of sites that can be remediated using phytoremediation. Additionally, work done in collaboration with BP has revealed that many contaminants from petroleum production can be destroyed in these systems, faster than had been previously thought.

• The Burken research group, in collaboration with the USGS, developed a tree-coring technology that allows delineation of contaminant plumes in groundwater without the need for drilling monitoring wells. Specifically, this discovery leads to conclusions that A) these plants can be sampled to indicate potential contamination in the subsurface and B) contaminants in the unsaturated zone can be removed by plants. A new sampling method using Solid Phase Microextration (SPME) can reduce the time and increase the sensitivity and target contaminant list.
  
  
• The Fitch/Burken research group is studying how to use constructed wetlands to remediate mine drainage and other waste streams of toxic heavy metals. These systems have proven to be robust and effective, and are being installed in full-scale operations by these research groups. This work has substantially increased understanding of removal mechanisms in such wetlands, and recently put forward a detailed and predictive model of how metals are removed. These developments allow for better design of wetlands. An example of such design is the full-scale high-flow wetland proposed to treat water draining from beneath developed areas of Park City, UT.