METHODS FOR SEQUESTERING CARBON OF ORGANIC MATERIALS

Abstract

Methods and systems for inhibiting biodegradation of biodegradable organic material are provided. In particular, methods for the treatment and storage of organic material (e.g. waste, vegetation) in hypersaline environment, including mixing with oceanwater, concentration to hypersalinity and maintenance of carbonaceous organic waste in the hypersaline environment are provided.

Claims

1. A method of reducing greenhouse gas emissions comprising: (a) separately transporting biodegradable organic material and oceanwater to a location below sea level said location being an artificial evaporation lake; (b) concentrating said oceanwater in said location to produce a hypersaline environment in said artificial evaporation lake; and (c) maintaining said biodegradable organic material within said artificial evaporation lake comprising said hypersaline environment, wherein the water of said hypersaline lake is in the range of 10-40% NaCl and wherein said hypersaline environment comprises solid salt, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions from degradation of said biodegradable organic material.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said concentrating is effected by a method selected from the group consisting of evaporation, leaching, and absorption and forcing of fluid through a membrane.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said biodegradable organic material is selected from the group consisting of discarded plastic and paper, municipal waste, industrial waste, hospital waste, agricultural waste, aquacultural waste, live vegetation and dead vegetation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said biodegradable organic material is in direct contact with said hypersaline environment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said biodegradable organic material is in a liquid form.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said biodegradable organic material is in a solid form.

Description

EXAMPLES

[0124] Reference is now made to the following examples, which together with the above descriptions illustrate some embodiments of the invention in a non limiting fashion.

[0125] Generally, the nomenclature used herein and the laboratory procedures utilized in the present invention include molecular, biochemical, microbiological and recombinant DNA techniques. Such techniques are thoroughly explained in the literature. See, for example, Molecular Cloning: A laboratory Manual Sambrook et al., (1989); Current Protocols in Molecular Biology Volumes I-III Ausubel, R. M., ed. (1994); Ausubel et al., Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, John Wiley and Sons, Baltimore, Md. (1989); Perbal, A Practical Guide to Molecular Cloning, John Wiley & Sons, New York (1988); Watson et al., Recombinant DNA, Scientific American Books, New York; Birren et al. (eds) Genome Analysis: A Laboratory Manual Series, Vols. 1-4, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, New York (1998); methodologies as set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,666,828; 4,683,202; 4,801,531; 5,192,659 and 5,272,057; Cell Biology: A Laboratory Handbook, Volumes I-III Cellis, J. E., ed. (1994); Culture of Animal CellsA Manual of Basic Technique by Freshney, Wiley-Liss, N. Y. (1994), Third Edition; Current Protocols in Immunology Volumes I-III Coligan J. E., ed. (1994); Stites et al. (eds), Basic and Clinical Immunology (8th Edition), Appleton & Lange, Norwalk, Conn. (1994); Mishell and Shiigi (eds), Selected Methods in Cellular Immunology, W. H. Freeman and Co., New York (1980); available immunoassays are extensively described in the patent and scientific literature, see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,791,932; 3,839,153; 3,850,752; 3,850,578; 3,853,987; 3,867,517; 3,879,262; 3,901,654; 3,935,074; 3,984,533; 3,996,345; 4,034,074; 4,098,876; 4,879,219; 5,011,771 and 5,281,521; Oligonucleotide Synthesis Gait, M. J., ed. (1984); Nucleic Acid Hybridization Hames, B. D., and Higgins S. J., eds. (1985); Transcription and Translation Hames, B. D., and Higgins S. J., eds. (1984); Animal Cell Culture Freshney, R. I., ed. (1986); Immobilized Cells and Enzymes IRL Press, (1986); A Practical Guide to Molecular Cloning Perbal, B., (1984) and Methods in Enzymology Vol. 1, 2, 317, Academic Press; PCR Protocols: A Guide To Methods And Applications, Academic Press, San Diego, Calif. (1990); Marshak et al., Strategies for Protein Purification and CharacterizationA Laboratory Course Manual CSHL Press (1996); all of which are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. Other general references are provided throughout this document. The procedures therein are believed to be well known in the art and are provided for the convenience of the reader. All the information contained therein is incorporated herein by reference.

Example I

Effect of a Hypersaline Environment on Biodegradation of Organic Material

[0126] Biodegradation of biodegradable organic material, in the presence and absence of hypersaline conditions was compared, by assaying CO2 emission.

[0127] A: Grape Juice

[0128] Methods: Grape juice was placed in test tubes, and salt added to one of the samples in excess of saturation (undissolved salt remained visible). The volume ratio of fluid to air was about 1:2, in rough correspondence to the ocean and atmosphere. The ratio of organic material to water and air was deliberately much larger than that of the biosphere so that CO.sub.2 production would be within an easily detectable range. The test tubes were sealed after several days to allow measurement of emitted CO.sub.2. The gas phase of the test tubes was analyzed using a Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer.

[0129] Results: In the unsalted sample, most of the oxygen had been converted to CO.sub.2 while, in the salt-saturated sample, both the oxygen and CO.sub.2 levels were substantially unchanged from their initial levels, while correcting for the effect of salinity on gas solubility in the liquid (Reduction in solubility of, and release of CO.sub.2 with increasing salt concentration).

[0130] B: Pumpkin

[0131] Methods: Solid pieces of pumpkin were placed in unsalted drinking water and in a saturated sea salt solution. They remained exposed to circulating (ambient) air.

[0132] Results: Those samples of pumpkin maintained in the control (unsalted) sample decayed and lost their geometric form within days. Samples maintained in saturated sea salt solution maintained their geometric form for at least one year (still under observation). One possible interpretation is that at least the cellulose fiber structure of the pumpkin has been preserved by maintenance in the salt solution. Further, whereas the organic material (pumpkin) floated in the saturated salt sample at first, the samples eventually sank, suggesting that the specific gravity of the biodegradable organic material increased with time.

[0133] Solid pieces of pumpkin were also placed in a saturated sea salt solution and then removed after soaking for several days and left in a salt-encrusted state. They, and a control group of untreated pumpkin pieces, were then maintained in sealed test tubes. The unsalted ones showed loss of geometric form and visible growth of mold, while the salt-encrusted samples had no evidence of loss of geometric form or mold growth over many months.

[0134] All publications, patents and patent applications mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated in their entirety by reference into the specification, to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated herein by reference. In addition, citation or identification of any reference in this application shall not be construed as an admission that such reference is available as prior art to the present invention. To the extent that section headings are used, they should not be construed as necessarily limiting. In addition, any priority document(s) of this application is/are hereby incorporated herein by reference in its/their entirety.