Technical Information

Bioremediation, a Brief Summary

Bioremediation – The use of living micro-organisms to return an object or area to a condition which is not harmful to plant or animal life — e.g. the treatment of wastewater such as sewage.

This can be achieved through:

Biodegradation – where the breaking down of a compound or substance is achieved with living organisms such as bacteria or fungi. These could be indigenous to the area, or could be introduced.

Biostimulation – where the natural or introduced population of microbes in an area is enhanced through addition of nutrients, engineering, or other manipulation of an area. This speeds up the natural remediation process.

Bioaugmentation – where specific living organisms are added to a site or material to achieve a desired bioremediation effect.

Biorestoration – restoration to original or near original state using living microbes.

Bacteria that ‘eat up’ oil (hydrocarbons)

Some natural bacteria are able to take advantage of the rich source of energy in petroleum products (hydrocarbons), and use oils and other hydrocarbons as a food source. This totally degrades the complex chain of molecules, leaving only harmless carbon dioxide and water.

Environmental Remediation Technology speeds up the process

The original, unaugmented colonies are slow-acting, and occur only in small numbers. Today’s technology has ‘bred’ these microbes to obtain a faster growing, and more hungry organism. Their growth has been stimulated by the addition of nutrients, and techniques have been developed to maximize their growth.

The Result: Microbes that eat oil in a matter of days or weeks instead of years!

Using bacteria to break down oils is remarkably inexpensive when compared with removing and land filling the waste. The microbes produce enzymes which cut up the hydrocarbon molecule and to provide food for the microbe. When the bacteria’s food source is depleted, they die off, leaving a harmless, nutrient-rich, fertilizer-like substance.

The Enretech Key

Indigenous microbes with strong survival capabilities

The key to effective bioremediation, however, is the use of bacteria that can withstand the onslaught of other microbes already in the contaminated soil.

Enretech uses bacteria that are indigenous to the cotton plant from which is the source of the Enretech absorbents manufacturing process.

These microbes have therefore had millions of years to adapt to their indigenous (cotton) environment, which significantly increases their survival rate compared with ‘foreign’ microbes that are sometimes unadvisedly added to oil contaminated soil in an attempt to achieve effective remediation.

Enretech is therefore a premium product that is, by its very nature, highly effective and sets industry standards in the bioremediation of oil contaminated soil.

Magnified X190	Magnified X320

Standards Compliance

Enretech absorbents have been extensively tested to demonstrate that they meet or exceed all pertinent standards.

The tests are summarized as follows:

TEST NAME		TEST #
Environmental Toxicity		ASTM D5560 (Microtox)
TCLP Leachate Test for Petroleum Hydrocarbons		USEPA 1311, USEPA 8015B
Sorption Capacity		USEAP 9095, ASTM F726-81 (9.1.2), CAN/CGSB-183.2-94
Proof of Absorption		ASTM F716-82 (11.2)
Pressure Release Test		USEPA 9096A
Human Toxicity		EPS 1/RM/10
Vapor Reduction		TVOC by GC/MS
Flammability		USEPA 1030
Pathogenic Bacteria		AS1766
Pesticide Residues		USEPA 8270C
Particle Size		ISO 13320-1:1999
Permissible Exposure Limit		NOHSC, ACGIH, or NIOSH
Nutrient Content		APHA 4500

LABORATORIES

All products have been thoroughly tested and certified by recognised local and international testing authorities. The following laboratories was used:

Local:

• University of the Freestate – Microbiology Prof. Esta van Heerden Read evaluation

International:

• Australian Government Analytical Laboratories, 1 Suakin St., Pymble, NSW 2073 AUS
• Ecowise Environmental Ltd. Scientific (Div. of ACTEW), 16 Lithgow St., Fyshwick, ACT AUS
• Leeder Consulting (Chartered Chemists), 192 Station Street, Fairfield, Vic 3078 AUS
• Australian Laboratory Services P/L, Sydney 02 9841 9500 AUS
• Microns to Measure, 42 Ramsden Street, Clifton Hill, Vic 3068 AUS
• AMS Laboratories P/L, 118 Hattersley Street, Rockdale, NSW 2216 AUS
• MGT Environmental Consulting P/L, 3 Kingston Close, Oakleigh, Vic 3166 AUS
• Dairy Farmers Research & Development, 433 Victoria St., Wetherill Park, NSW 2164 AUS
• Insulation Assessment Laboratory, 14 Nelson St., Chatswood, NSW 2067 AUS
• Sportsturf Consultants (Aust.) P/L, 41 Westerfield Drive, North Clayton, Vic 3168 AUS
• Environment Canada (Emergencies Eng. Div.), 3439 River Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0H3
• EFEH & Associates, 10919 Sagewind Drive, Houston, Texas 77089 USA
• EMSL Analytical Inc., 3 Cooper Street, Westmont, New Jersey 08108 USA
• EVS Environmental Consultants, 195 Pemberton Ave., North Vancouver, BC, Canada V7P 2R4
• Environment Testing & Engineering, PO Box 715, Northport, AL 35476 USA
• Custom Biologicals Inc., Suite 208 - 902 Clint Moore Rd., Boca Raton, FL 33437 USA
• AEA Technology (Biotechnology Services), 353 Harwell, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 ORA, UK