| abstract |
The present invention relates to the protection of the environment, particularly the soil and ground water, by biological degradation of unwanted chemical and biological entities often finding their way into soils. The process of the present invention utilizes the well known methods of the art of composting but specifically selects the raw plant materials to be composted from plant groups having carbon:nitrogen ratios of approximately 10:1 to 30:1 of carbon and nitrogen content. Examples of said special plant material being from members of the plant family Leguminosae, and specifically Gossypium hirsutum (cotton). By means of certain modifications of the art of composting said special plant materials, disclosed herein, generate a special humic substrate which supports an indigenous microflora and fauna capable of degrading a number of unwanted substances harmful to man, animals and plants; examples being certain petroleum hydrocarbons, halogenated hydrocarbon pesticides and soil borne plant pathogens. By incorporating said special humic microbial substrate with its contained microorganisms into contaminated soils certain unwanted substances present therein are biologically transformed into harmless end products effectively bioremediating or cleansing said contaminated soils. |