FAS Abstracts 2004 Meeting Page

Environmental Chemistry & Chemical Sciences B & Poster (ENV): ENV-16

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Duckweed and phosphate process water: biomass fuel cell potential.  K.M. Carvalho-Knighton (1), B. Clark (1), and R.F. Benson (2).  (1) Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of South Florida St. Petersburg, 140 7^th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, (2) Department of Marine Science, Center for Ocean Technology, University of South Florida St. Petersburg, 140 7^th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.  In Florida, the phosphate mining industry is concerned with the impacts on the environment.  One of the concerns is that phosphoric acidic process water (pond water) is very acid with a pH less than 2. Research has shown that Duckweed, Lemnaceae, can both purify and concentrate metals and nutrients in water. Lab studies were conducted investigating the possibility of utilizing duckweed and the process water in a biomass fuel cell.