Exlterra, a sustainable technological solutions firm in Switzerland that has its North American headquarters in Hazel Park, has developed a revolutionary technology that makes it possible to clean up a polluted site without the traditional removal of soil, and without using any chemicals or other products.
Exlterra (excellence for the earth) officials state that they achieved their results by harnessing forces and renewable energy sources present in nature. The method does not require energy consumption and does not require any maintenance.
The technology already has been successfully deployed at a site known for its high pollution levels. The first extensive results with this disruptive technology will be unveiled in April 2021.
Exlterra states the technology developed to clean-up contaminated soils enables the treatment of all types of soil pollution, whether accidental or related to the global increase of human activity on earth.
The technology has been successfully installed in 2019-2020 in partnership with a world-renowned research institute, which is responsible for evaluating and validating the results.
The results are in line with Exlterra’s forecasts and confirm the effectiveness of this natural breakthrough technology, company officials state. More details will be announced next month.
“Reducing pollution has become a central issue for most governments as the consequences are so disastrous,” says Frank Muller, CEO of Exlterra. “We must learn to manage a heavy legacy while preserving the future. Cleaning up and remediating polluted land is therefore a major priority, in order to make them viable again.
“Our solution demonstrates that we can do this without chemical artifacts, and without condemning or displacing contaminated soil. We also know that today there is no solution for certain types of pollution. Our process is a natural response to this alarming situation.”
The Exlterra system is simple to install in the ground. It uses the properties and renewable energies found in nature and, in particular, considerably accelerates the natural decomposition process of contaminants in the soil.
Two innovations in Exlterra’s family of technologies have already proved their effectiveness and are marketed in both Europe and the United States — NEPS (Nutrient Enrichment Passive System) to tackle soil impoverishment, and GEPS (Groundwater Energy Passive System), which manages stormwater issues.
The innovations are based on the unique expertise and understanding of living systems developed by Exlterra.
The human, ecological, and economic impact of soil pollution is considerable and exponential. Long lasting contaminations affects human health, compromises food security and the quality of drinking water, alters biodiversity, and contributes to the forced displacement of populations. The economic losses caused by soil degradation are estimated at around 10 percent of the world’s GDP, according to Exlterra.
The negative impact related to soil pollution include:
- The economy: Global economic losses caused by soil degradation are expected to exceed 10 percent of the world’s annual GDP
- Desertification: The number of inhabitants in the most arid areas of the earth could account for 45 percent of the world’s population in 2050
- Biodiversity: Soil pollution directly disturbs ecosystems by affecting certain components of the food chain.
- Population displacement: Soil degradation and climate change will have driven between 50 and 700 million people to emigrate by 2050
- The climate: In the first decade of the 21st century, soil degradation released between 3.6 and 4.4 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere.
“Soil pollution is the result of nature’s inability to absorb the amount of contaminants that accumulates,” says Andrew Niemczyk, president and chief technology officer at Exlterra. “Exlterra is taking action, with the sole objective of developing the technologies of the future that use resources and natural properties whose potential is not yet harnessed, but which are already showing very promising results.”
Exlterra develops, produces, and commercializes sustainable technological solutions applied to the environment.
Based on the principles of effectiveness, simplicity, and sustainability, Exlterra’s products harness natures’ forces and renewable energy sources to operate and achieve tangible results. They are energy-passive and maintenance free.
The innovations tackle soil impoverishment (Nutrient Enrichment Passive System — NEPS), manage stormwater issues (Groundwater Energy Passive System — GEPS), and remediate contaminated soils.
Specifically designed to install its technologies, Exlterra has also developed and produces HAZL and MAZL, two ultra-light and compact drill rigs.
Since its founding in 2013 following the meeting in Detroit of U.S. inventor Andrew Niemczyk, a native of Poland, and Swiss entrepreneur Frank Muller, Exlterra has been awarded eight patents and successfully installed its technologies on three continents. The company is active in the European, American, and Japanese markets.
For more information about Exlterra, visit https://www.exlterra.com/
To read DBusiness’ feature story about Exlterra from the Nov./Dec. 2019 issue, visit https://www.dbusiness.com/from-the-magazine/miracle-grow/
