The document discusses a phytoremediation solution using Casuarina plants to remediate heavy metal contamination in soil and groundwater in Vellore, India. Casuarina is well-suited to the climate and soil conditions in Vellore. The solution involves growing Casuarina from tissue culture, planting them on contaminated sites, and harvesting the plants after several years, which would remove 73-78% of chromium, cadmium, lead, and nickel from the soil. This is a sustainable solution that generates revenue from uses of the Casuarina plants and offsets carbon emissions through sequestration.

1. A GREEN
ENERATE SOLUTION FOR
SUSTAINABLE
EPLENISH WATER
MANAGEMENT
BVIATE
EALTH

2. UIC TEAM VIT TEAM
Caitlin Bray Disha Tandon
Erica Michie Siddartha
Kevin Liu Joshi
Oluwaseyi Suniti Singh
Afuwape Ravi Teza

3. Vellore
Palar River
 Industries
Common Effluent
Treatment Plants
Ranipet
Vaniyambadi
Melvisharam
SIPCOT
Ambur

4. Problem ? Contaminated water
Long-term water level fluctuations indicate
lowering of water table in Vellore
It is claimed by farmers in the surrounding area that the
CETP's dump their wastes in the farmer's fields
The ground water is polluted by certain metals
Chromium
Lead, Zinc, Nickel, Copper, Cadmium

5. Prevalence of Chromium in World
Element Detection Limits United States
Chromium 0.1-1ppb
Brazil, Cuba
India, Kazakhstan, Turkey and southern Africa
Lead 1-10ppb South Africa
Zinc 0.1-1 ppb
Industry
Nickel 0.1-1ppb  Stainless steel
 Textile Dye
Copper 0.1-1ppb  Electroplating
Cadmium <0.1ppb  Tannery
 Electronic
HEAVY METAL CONCENTRATION IN SEDIMENTS mg/kg Puliyanthangal Site - Ranipet n=5
Cr Ni Zn Pb Cd
EC (2000)
Maximum 60 50 150 70 1
Permissible Limit
Range 197-523 63-220 200-372 47-117 0.02-0.32
Minimum 197.2 63.58 200.5 47.52 0.02
Maximum 523.2 220.76 372.3 117.3 0.32
Mean 351.5 129.1 277.7 83.1 0.108
SD 136.1 62.6 68.6 31.59 0.12

6. Solution( Ideation theme )
• Inefficient as anyway
Treatment of ground water is
polluted
industrial
• As mentioned above,
waste(heavy farmers claim that the
metals) by CETPs waste is dumped in
their farms
• Unsuitable in the long
run
Dumping the • Land and water
waste in landfills contamination
is an option • Biomagnification:
Accumulation of wastes
in the food chain

7. Phytoremediation
Revenue generation
Agriculture
Biofertilizer
Inedible crops
Targets the Edible crops may
ground water harm the food chain
Absorbs heavy  E.g.- Casuarina
metals
Very efficient in the long
run
It will destroy the root
cause of contamination

8. Parameters Vellore (Conditions) Casuarina (Requirements)
Climate Tropics, hot, humid Semi-arid, hot, humid, tropics, coastal area
Temperature 28-39oC 32oC
Rainfall 860mm 700-2500mm
Soil Sandy loam Sandy, loamy, laterite, saline/alkaline
pH 7.8 4.8-8.4

9. FENCING MATERIAL
FERTILIZER BUILDING-TIMBER &
FIREWOOD
USES OF
CASUARINA
DECORATIVE ITEMS FURNITURE AND
TOOLS
PAPER INDUSTRY

10. How is it done: Plant Tissue Culture
Explant: a plant part (tissue) from Casuarina is taken.
The explant is cultured in suitable growth medium supplemented with suitable plant growth
regulators and Cr.
An undifferentiated mass of cells is obtained. Called as callus.
Callus cultured in suitable medium and growth regulators for plant regeneration. (Artificial seed can
also be made, if desired)
Tiny plantlets planted into greenhouse for few days to adapt to field conditions.
Hardened plantlets obtained. Sold to farmers. 2-3 yrs taken to achieve complete plant growth.

12. Heavy Metal Reduction in soil due Plant Uptake
Days Cr Ni Cd Pb
*0th day 1.19 0.24 0.98 6.482
*30th day 0.68 0.21 0.62 3.601
*60th day 0.31 0.18 0.22 1.907
% Removal 73.94 25 77.55 70.58
from soil
Expected
uptake capacity
in 1 yr when
similar amount 5.353 0.365 4.623 27.83
of metal taken
on 0th day
*Heavy metal concentration in the soil (conc. in mg/kg) from pot culture
studies

13. VALUE PROPOSITION
 Reliable, Quality
services
 Robust technology
MODEL
& domain
knowledge
BUSINESS

14. OPERATIONAL PLAN
PRODUCTION INVENTORY LOCATION LEGAL ENVIRONMENT
•Amount of Space •Licensing and
•PTC Technique & •Average value in
bonding
Cost stock
• Easy Access requirements
•Quality Control •Lead-time for
•Convenient •Permits
ordering
transportation
•Consumer Service •Insurance
& Support coverage
•Trademark

15. MARKETING The BioCarbon
Fund- World
OPERATION Bank
ExNoRa
NGO’s
Root
Capital
Society For
Promotion of
Integrated
Coastal Area
Government COMPANY Management
body NODAL (SPICAM)
CENTRE
Industry
Farmers
Local MNC’s/
SEZ
INDICATES INDICATES
COLLABORATION SUPPLY

16. TARGET
CUSTOMERS

17. GROWTH AND YIELD ON FIELD
Spacing requirements: 3m x 1.5 m
 About 1778 (80%) of them are expected to grow into poles.
 About 1422 (80% of survival) of good sized poles with a market
value of Rs. 50/- (Approx.) each will be obtained.
 Additionally about 25 tons of fuel wood at farm gate price of
Rs.500/ton will be obtained.
Seedlings
planted:2222
1.Pole 1422 Nos. @ Rs. 50/- each - Rs. 71,100/-
2.Firewood 25 tons @ Rs. 500/ton - Rs. 12,500/-
TOTAL : Rs. 83,600/-
Survival:1778
Good sized
poles: 1422

18. ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF GROWING THE CASUARINA PLANT
Sl. Particulars of work Cost per harvest
1. Site preparation 400
2. Initial ploughing 1000
3. Alignment & staking 400
4. Digging of pits(30 cu.m ) & refilling of pits after mixing FYM, Fertiliser and 7100
insecticide
5. Cost of FYM @3 Kg/pit 3333
6. Cost of fertiliser @100 gm/plant (N in form of Urea) 1111
7. Cost of insecticides / pesticides @5 gm/pit 250
8. Cost of plants including transport 7998
9. Planting & replanting @ 100 plants per MD 2600
10. Weeding cum soil working 7000
11. Pruning/tending 5000
12. Irrigation @ 5 times / yr during dry months only 3750
13. SUB TOTAL 39942
14. GRAND TOTAL INPUT 43936
15. GRAND TOTAL SELL VALUE 83600
16. NET PROFIT 39664

19. PRODUCTION COSTS
Operational Costs Rs. ( ~ 600 plantlets)
Media 56
Consumables (chem+ vermiculite) 21.32
Sell Value @ Rs. 1 per sapling Rs. 600
Net Gain Rs. 522.68
• *Calculations based on the basis of 1L media
• *Certain variation may occur in the exact no. of plantlets
• Power , Transport & Labor cost may affect slightly the operational costs
• Power Requirements: Rs.500 per month

20. CARBON CREDITS
• One carbon credit is equivalent to 1 ton of carbon
released in the atmosphere.
• Carbon credits are often used in conjunction with cap-
and-trade schemes and have two distinct types. Carbon
Offset Credits consist of clean forms of energy like, wind,
solar, hydro and biofuels.
• At the moment, the Carbon market is quoting one Credit
as being worth US$10 – 30.

21. THANK YOU!!