Asian Carp Mitigation

Abstract

A method of mitigating the environmental impact of invasive Asian carp is provided. The method generally involves producing a metal sorbent from the defleshed bones of a plurality of Asian carp harvested from a body of water in which the carp is invasive, and/or treating a metal contaminated material with the metal sorbent, so as to support harvesting of the invasive Asian carp from the body of water.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of mitigating the environmental impact of invasive Asian carp, comprising:
 (i) obtaining Asian carp bones of a plurality of Asian carp harvested from one or more bodies of water in which the carp is invasive;   (ii) producing a metal sorbent from the Asian carp bones by drying and milling the bones into metal sorbent particles having a metal sorption capacity effective for treating a metal contaminated material, such as soil, sediment, water, or leachate from a soil or waste site contaminated with metals;   (iii) treating a metal contaminated material with an effective amount of the metal sorbent so as to form immobilized reaction products of the metal contaminated material and the metal sorbent; and   (iv) repeating steps (i) to (iii) one or more times as needed so as to support harvesting of the invasive Asian carp.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the harvesting includes small, sexually immature Asian carp so as to support recruitment overfishing. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the drying comprises heating at a temperature of at least about 100° C. and for a period of time effective to generate metal sorbent particles at water dryness and having a metal sorption capacity effective for treating a material contaminated with at least one metal selected from the group consisting of cadmium, copper, strontium, uranium, and zinc. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the heating is conducted without charring the bones so as to produce uncharred metal sorbent particles. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the heating without charring produces uncharred metal sorbent particles retaining associated organics while being substantially devoid of a foul fish odor. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the heating is conducted with charring so as to produce charred metal sorbent particles. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising measuring the metal sorption capacity of a test sample of the metal sorbent. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising certifying the metal sorbent based on the measuring. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising packaging the metal sorbent in a suitable container for keeping the metal sorbent dry and certifying the invasive Asian carp content thereof. 
     
     
         10 . A green and sustainable method of treating a metal contaminated material, the method comprising:
 (i) obtaining a metal sorbent comprising bone particles of Asian carp harvested from a body of water in which the carp is invasive;   (ii) treating a metal contaminated material, such as soil, sediment, water, or leachate from a soil or waste site contaminated with metals, with an effective amount of the metal sorbent so as to form immobilized reaction products of the metal contaminated material and the metal sorbent; and   (iii) repeating steps (i) to (ii) as needed so as to support harvesting of the carp from the body of water and treating of the metal contaminated material.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the Asian carp bone particles comprise at least 50% by weight of the metal sorbent. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the Asian carp bone particles have a metal sorption capacity effective for treating a material contaminated with at least one metal selected from the group consisting of cadmium, copper, strontium, uranium, and zinc. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the effective amount is an application rate of about 1% to 10% by weight of the metal contaminated material. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the harvesting is recruitment overfishing. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the metal sorbent comprises metal sorbent particles derived from at least one fish other than Asian carp. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metal sorbent is substantially devoid of a foul fish odor. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the metal sorbent comprises uncharred Asian carp bone particles retaining residual organics. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the metal sorbent comprises charred Asian carp bone particles and little to no residual organics. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the metal sorbent comprises a blend of uncharred and charred bone particles. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising measuring the metal sorption capacity of a test sample of the metal sorbent.