Roaring Brook News

How Catalysed^®Bioremediation Works (cont.)

After the wells are installed, the patented "catalyzed-bioremediation" slurry containing the site-specific germinated bacteria is injected into the biosparging wells. In addition to the appropriate bacterial elements, the slurry contains nitrogen and phosphorous bearing enriching agents and some organic oils that will serve to promote bacterial growth.

An appropriate volume of slurry is injected into the pressure wells on the outer circumference of the network for approximately one hour each day. An accumulation tank is used to inject the slurry. It is fitted with a group of blowers that provide low pressure to inject the entire contents of the tank during each daily dosing. The slurry is distributed through the circular network of wells throughout the entire volume of the soil to be cleaned by biosparging.

Using a high pressure pump, the central well that extends below the groundwater surface is pumped successively by opening and closing a pressure valve, allowing air to pass into the area that has been injected with the slurry. In so doing, portions of the slurry in which pollutants have been concentrated are accumulated in the central well. The concentration of nutrients and bacteria in the slurry is adjusted so that the amount of contaminated slurry that is accumulated per day is in balance with the amount of contaminants that can be degraded in the same period of time.

Evacuation of the contaminated slurry is done by reduction of pressure on the blowers (slow vacuum) and by use of a high vacuum pump. Distribution of air in the subsoil above the groundwater surface, as well as in the accumulation tank that functions as the bacterial incubator, continues at all times except for the time during which the spent slurry is evacuated from the wells. Thus the process operates on a continual basis each day.

Experience with this process amassed over years of work in bioremediation of contaminants at concentrations of less than 50 ppm shows that the process can continue for several months. During the process, the process continues to generate oxygen and enrich the soil in humus. In this manner, soil that is depleted of organic material becomes well fertilized. This technology drastically reduces the time for remediating soil and thereby reduces both the clean-up costs and the lost opportunity costs associated with unavailability of the site for productive purposes.

In the next issue of Roaring Brook News, we will present EcoBios' Biocatalytic Water Purification process.

Join Roaring Brook Consultants and Prof. Roberto Blundo of EcoBios at the EnviroExpo Booth Number 828. Contact us for complimentary tickets ($50 value).

1-877-RBC-2643

ENGINEERING A BETTER FUTURE