Generell Innføring Med Fokus På Beskrivelse Av De Biologiske Metoders Virkemåte Og Effekt
General introduction focusing on a description of the effects of biological methods and how they work
Table of contents
What is pollution and what is hydrocarbon-based pollution?
Hydrocarbon-based pollution
Treatment of hydrocarbon-based pollution in a historical perspective
Removal of hydrocarbon pollution using biological measures
The two main types of biological remediation products
Bacteria-based (microorganism-based) agents
Biological remediation agents without bacteria (microorganisms)
Biological remediation products in industrial projects
About carbon
About removing oil and other hydrocarbons
How does a biological restoration product work?......
Bios© starts an emulsification process
General summarized considerations
Final statement
General information related to the use of biological remedies in the battle against hydrocarbon-based pollution
Biologisk MiljøteknikkAShas developed a modern instrument in the battle against oil pollution. The agent, a biological remediation liquid called Bios, is completely free from all substances that may be harmful to nature. The agent is approved by all relevant authorities and may be used to solve all contamination problems from cleaning up beaches to restoring contaminated soil after oil discharges, even from earlier generations.
Before we start discussing the specific details that concern Bios, here are first some general explanations regarding the use of biological remedies in the battle against pollution.
What is pollution and what is hydrocarbon-based pollution?
We all have a notion about the word pollution. The word gives a general description of undesirable remains of materials, substances, fluids and lots of other debris that is in places where it does not belong. Only a small part of these examples of pollution belong to the category of hydrocarbon-based pollution, which is what this description is about.
Hydrocarbon-based pollution
Generally and commonly you can describe hydrocarbons as oils, diesel, petrol, grease, alcohol, paraffin, asphalt, petroleum, fluid gasses like LPG, LNG, etc.
The characteristic quality of hydrocarbons is that they often exist as liquids and that they, as soon as an accident occurs, may seep into places where it is not easy to retain them, and are thus characterized as contaminants.
Historically this type of pollution was handled leniently and nature was left alone to deal with the degradation process. Today deliberate actions that involve risks or actually cause hydrocarbon-based damage or contamination are met with strict penalty and serious charges.
The same kind of penalty will prevail in cases where the necessary measures have not been taken when an accident occurs. The EU has established extensive and very severe regulations against this type of crime. Moreover, regulations have been compiled that describe requirements to methods and measures that may be used in recovery operations following major and minor accidents.
Treatment of hydrocarbon-based pollution in a historical perspective
Historically hydrocarbon contamination from heavy oil, fuel oil, other lighter oil types, petroleum, diesel, petrol, bunker oil from ships etc. has been treated with mechanical remedies. Large quantities of substance have been sucked up and e.g. bark or similar has been used to reduce the harmful effects and limit the danger of spreading to animals, birds and humans. Suction and pumping, as well as everything from physical barriers, absorbents that sustain the oil, to manual removal by using spades etc., are traditional ways of attacking the problem.
Common for all these methods is that it is practically impossible to remove the contamination. You might succeed in getting rid of most of it, but all that has seeped into the ground or otherwise is not easily accessible, remains.
Major physical challenges must be solved and expensive material must be used in order to get close to acceptable results. In addition, a new problem arises; how to dispose of the collected oil? It represents in itself a contamination and must be disposed of at appropriate disposal sites for further treatment. This represents yet more costs and besides, incineration and destruction of the debris is often an additional hazard to the environment.
When oil contamination in soil occurs the most common method is still to dig up the polluted substance, transport it to a deposit site where it is cleaned. Often the clean-up consists in heating up the mass so the hydrocarbon burns up. This results in hazardous chemicals and carbon dioxide being released into the environment.
These methods are still being used, but are becoming obsolete. When people start understanding the environmental and economic effects generated by biological remedies to solve these problems, the methods will be adjusted. There is reason to believe that the methods of the future will consist of a combination of mechanical and biological remedies. Procedures where people are exposed to direct contact with hazardous contamination are expected to become illegal.
Removal of hydrocarbon pollution using biological measures
The use of biological remedies in this field is not new. For more than 20 years these types of measures have been used in different places all over the world. The trouble is that too many poor products have mistakenly been put into this category, which has resulted in giving ”biological remedies” unfortunate associations. But with today’s rigorous requirements for documentation related to both contents and MSDS-related concerns, it is difficult to promote products that include synthetic components as purely biological.
Common for all biological agents that exist on the international market is that they include biological (natural) material. Preferably they should include only naturally degradable components. Requirements for degradability and to the impact these substances have on nature have been considerably intensified over the recent years. All substances included in agents must therefore be approved and documented in compliance with the MSDS-rules.
Several companies have introduced their own strict rules for using biological substances in their production. For example, the restrictions related to the substance NonylPhenol, a harmful residual compound that persists in the environment. The Norwegian oil industry and the Norwegian government have set a zero tolerance level for the use of this substance in e.g. offshore oil exploration and oil production activities. At present the substance is accepted in quantities under 0,1 volume percent for use in other domains, but a total prohibition can well be expected within short time.
The two main types of biological remediation products
The biological remedies that exist on the market today can roughly be divided into two groups;
Those that contain micro-organisms (particular aggressive bacteria) and those that don’t contain these micro-organisms. Both types of agents have their legitimate place in this picture.
Bacteria-based (micro-organism-based) agents
The use of bacteria-based agents implies an extensive control over the included bacteria. Besides, an assessment of the bacteria that persist in the environment after the work is done, has an innate importance tothe Norwegian habitat. Most bacteria that are used in international agents stem from bacterial populations that have been cultivated in warmer climates. These are alien to our fauna and should be used with respect. In addition, they often have a poor effect and can die in our low winter temperatures. This type of agent is often successful when used indoors, where the bacteria have been “raised” to eat only particular cells, for instance fungus, mould etc., and where they die when there is no more “food” and the problem is removed.
Outside in nature, bacteria are more difficult to control and this makes the technical environment sceptical to the use of agents where bacteria from the agent create the effect.
Biological remediation agents without bacteria (microorganisms)
Biological remediation agents that do not include bacteria also work based on the knowledge that bacteria are necessary in order to obtain biological degradation of the contaminant.
The difference is that these agents seek to utilise the bacterial flora that is naturally found in the polluted area without adding new bacterial cultures. Agents of this type that work are precisely the ones that succeed in activating the natural bacterial culture so that they contribute to the degradation.This has to take place in within the limits of a contamination-free technology that complies with the regulations.
One of the most important effects of using biological remediation agents is the possibility of doing the remediation work on the site of the accident. Normally, the remediation can be undertaken using simple techniques, and the treatment can often start up immediately.
Biological remediation products in industrial projects
The best proof that oil remediation using biological measures now has become effective both economically and technically, is the fact that major industrial projects, where e.g. large building sites have been heavily contaminated throughout generations are being cleaned up by using biological procedures that are an alternative to costly excavations and transportation of mass.
The costs are dramatically reduced and the environmental effect is considerable. For further information about this type of project, please see the method description concerning recovery of contaminated soil.
About carbon
Carbon is, together with silicon, the most important element in nature. The element carbon
is for instance included in more than a million known carbon compounds. These mainly consist of”biological molecules” and form the basis of all life on earth. Carbon has the unique characteristic of being able to make strong bonds to other carbon atoms, so-called carbon chains.
Hydrocarbon constitutes the area where the alliance between carbon and another element, in this case hydrogen, has had the largest impact on the development of our industrial and practical everyday life.
Crude oil contains a large amount of different types of hydrocarbons. When refined, they separate and create products with own names that we know from everyday life. We find them for instance in fuel types like oil, diesel, petrol and gas. These are examples of hydrocarbons that have different lengths in their carbon chains. We also find hydrocarbons in foodstuffs like cooking oil and in beauty products like shampoo.
Hydrocarbons consist of carbon and hydrogen atoms only, so-called non-polar molecules, a generic term for stable molecules that do not easily react to other molecules. In practice this means that hydrocarbons are relatively insoluble in so-called “polar solvents” like e.g. water.
This explains why this type of pollution is very difficult to remove. It does not dissolve by using regular soap and water. Historically, other solvents have been used to wash away for instance oil contamination. In some countries they still use diesel to clean up oil. The result is that you go from bad to worse by polluting not only with oil but also with diesel, which is a very harmful element to nature.
About removing oil and other hydrocarbons
We only treat hydrocarbon-based contamination, the most frequent and therefore the most serious type of pollution in nature, industrial sites and private homes. Since hydrocarbons exist in all products that stem form crude oil, the pollutive potential is considerable. We only treat the major and most important pollution areas in this description. However, it might be fitting to mention that an approved biological remediation liquid, like for instance Bios©, may profitably be used in many situations in homes and in industry.Often so-called “Degreasers” are used to remove oil coating, grease and similar.These contain, more or less without exception, solvents that are harmful both to nature and to the person doing the job. Rather choose biological products that in addition to doing the job at least just as well, also protect the environment.
How does a biological remediation product work?
The remainder of this general description concerns remediation agents without active micro-organisms. At Biologisk Miljøteknikk we consider thisas the safest and best technology in this demanding field.
We have therefore, in collaboration with our laboratory in the USA, developed a product, BIOS, that we consider to represent the most advanced technology in the field.The remaining presentation of facts in this document describes how this technology functions in the degradation phase of hydrocarbon-based contamination. Other competing products with other chemical compositions may function differently to what is described here.
Bios has a chemical compound that attacks the surfacetension of the individual hydrocarbon molecule. The surfacetension and thus the ability to maintain the chain structure, is broken down resulting in the hydrocarbon becoming exposable to direct influence from natural bacterial flora.In addition, Bios© includes substances that accelerate the natural process by adding nutrients to the natural bacteria. Bios© must be applied together with large quantities of water in order to ensure the spreading of the remediation liquid in the oil. At the same time as water eases the physical spreading of the remediation liquid, water also includes own bacteria that contributeto initiating the degradation process.
Bios© starts an emulsification process
As soon as Bios(c) together with the added water has contact with the pollution, a chain reaction starts resulting in the oil loosing e.g. its lubricant effect and the character and colour of the oil changes. The colour changes gradually from natural brown or black, to gray as the emulsification takes place. The emulsified oil is a nutritional substance that can be conducted back into nature. In low temperatures with extra dense oil, e.g. bunker oil from ships, the emulsification process will be longer. This has to do with the required time for Bios©/water to obtain contact with the individual molecule in the oil. Motion and an abundant flow of water render the process effective.Ship accidents where oil is found floating on the water surface are ideal situations in which to use Bios. The movement of the water, together with saltwater, which is rich in bacteria, will soon start the emulsification process. Even if oil reaches the shore before it has emulsified, the process will continue and the contamination will disappear quickly and efficiently, usually without any damages occurring from contamination of beaches, boats, piers etc.
General summarized considerations
Biological treatment of oil- and other hydrocarbon-based pollution is becoming increasingly popular. It is efficient and cost-effective and it enables a swift initiation of the process.
All treatment with biological remedies is subject to strict regulations. Concerning recovery of coastal zones, a discharge permit is required from the Norwegian Coastal Administration (Kystverket) before the treatment is undertaken in cases when hazardous discharges might occur, or when the added bacteria might represent a risk to the shore line where the clean-up is to take place.
Biological treatment of pollution is limited by several denominating factors:
- One or several bacteria must be available or must be added in order to break down the present contaminating material
- The bacteria must have contact with the hydrocarbon in the pollution
- Access to an inorganic nutrient that stimulates the applied bacteria
- Access to a receptor of the released electrons, e.g. a source of oxygen
In order to meet the existing objectives for treatment and control of pollution as well as meeting the denominating, limiting factors mentioned above, Biologisk Miljøteknikk AS has, in close collaboration with the laboratory in the USA, developed Bios©. The remediation liquid generates under application and presence during the process, an improved and basically ideal atmosphere for the biological reactions that render the desired effect. The important point is that this takes place without adding alien bacterial cultures and without necessarily having to dig up or treat the polluted area in other ways.Bios© is not harmful to flowers, plants or trees that are in the polluted area.
Bios© breaks down the hydrocarbons, removes the long chains of carbonatoms and enables the normal bacterial cultures in the area to feed on the hydrocarbon that now is freed and defenceless against the bacteria. The result is that the process is very quick, considerably quicker than any other known and available technology within this field. Bios does not contain bacterial cultures.
Under the degradation process the contaminating hydrocarbon is used as a source of nutrition and energy, which results in the final end products to be carbon dioxide, water and carbon. The content of Bios reduces the bonding forces between the hydrocarbons. This allows each hydrocarbon molecule to be completely covered by Bios that immediately neutralizes the surface tension of the molecule and makes it available to the surrounding bacteria.