Cambridge Environmental Initiatives
Geologist with an interest in naturally occurring zeolite minerals and organo-zeolitic fertilizers.
Dr Leggo's research has demonstrated the efficacy of organo-zeolitic-soil systems to establish and sustain plant growth on highly contaminated soils polluted with heavy metals from mining and metallurgical waste. Using such systems, growth of a metal-tolerant plant can be sustained on heavily contaminated land. Potential exists for the production of 'industrial' crops from which, after harvest and use as biofuels, metals could be re-cycled from the residual biomass either as ash or fresh plant waste. It is now possible to grow and sustain healthy plants in conditions of extreme metal pollution. Both Rape (Brassica napus) and Ossier Willow (Salix viminalis) have been grown very successfully in pot experiments that clearly demonstrate the potential of organo-zeolitic fertilizers.It is quite evident that such applications of zeolite mineral properties hold much promise in the area of environmental technology as the re-vegetation of sites damaged by mining and related metallurgical practice is a problem facing all industrial countries.
remediation, contaminated land, zeolite, organic, phytostabilization, recycling, biofilm, environmental technology, biofuels
Dr Peter Leggo
Department of Earth Sciences
University of Cambridge
Downing Street
Cambridge
CB2 3EQ
leggo@esc.cam.ac.uk
Available for consultancy: Yes
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