Florida, 2004: ECCO Commercial All-Purpose Cleaner has been accepted by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for the bioremediation of petroleum contaminants. The soil cleaner utilizes emulsifiers that make oil, gas, diesel and other contaminants more bioavailable so that soil-based microorganisms can break them down into carbon dioxide and water via aerobic processes. The tiny molecules of the cleanser are attracted to the oil and squeeze between the hydrocarbon molecules, separating them and making them easier to clean up.
National, Current: High treatment costs for drilling wastes are forcing oil and gas companies to look at bioremediation techniques for hydrocarbon contamination. One such system combines a linear-paraffin-base fluid with a calcium ammonium acetate brine phase and barite as the weighting agent to the contaminated soil. Everyday earthworms are added to the mixture to transform waste into a soil-enhancing fertilizer.
Santa Fe Lake Region, New Mexico, 1988: “Land-farming” was performed on hydrocarbon contaminated lake basin sediments after the water was evaporated. The land farming included aeration, moisture control and nutrient control and allowed microorganisms to metabolize the hydrocarbons to cleanup standards. Once land farming was completed, native grasses were planted in the lake basin. Below: Picture of contaminated lake with algal bloom prior to bioremediation:
California, 2003: A bioremediation system utilizing bacteria that eats oils and soaps enables a carwash to recycle water instead of discharging it into the septic system. Dirty water goes to a settling take first to remove dirt particles, then to another tank where it is aerated to remove odors caused by anaerobic bacteria. The system then removes particles larger than five microns before sending the water to a tank where bacteria eat soaps and hydrocarbons in addition to nutritional plant extracts (added to sustain the bacterial population).
London, Ontario, 2004: Tekron Inc. is in the process of utilizing sugar cane biomass as a substrate to produce biosurfactants to be applied to soil for the purpose of remediating and cleaning the soil matrix that has been contaminated with organic and inorganic toxins. The technology has direct application in the clean up of petroleum-laden soils and a variety of contaminated soils found on industrial sites. Adding the sugar cane biosurfactants to the contaminated site can significantly accelerate the biodegradation process of persistant contaminants. Specifically selected and adapted microbial consortia will also be prepared and produced by Tekron Inc. In this respect, individual and mixtures of the consortia and biosurfactants will be selected and used to demonstrate efficient biodegradation in a real environment. Below, Sugar Cane:
SOURCES (in order of examples to which they refer): Industrial Environment, McGlaughlin, PR Newswire: State and Regional News, Young, Business Wire