Almost two weeks after the disaster started, the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico is still gushing up to 10,000 barrels of oil into the ocean every day. Efforts by BP and the US government to stop leakage have come up with empty hands, however it turns out one of the keys to cleanup might already exist in the now oil-infested waters. Natural microbes present in every ocean are superb cleaners, and with the addition of a bit of fertilizer they could prove successful in removing oil from the Gulf. A quick dusting would help the microbes multiply and then they would dine on oil en masse until it’s gone.
The process of using naturally present microorganisms to clean up oil spills is called bioremediation. Unfortunately the process won’t work out at sea and can only be used when the oil reaches shore — which is what the coast guard and clean-up workers are currently trying to prevent. The microorganisms, even without fertilizers, will begin to chow down on the oil when it enters their natural habitat. So, with the addition of sulfate or nitrate fertilizers the microorganism multiply beyond their natural state and eat up the toxic metals invading their home at up to five times the rate that they would without assistance.
There is a side effect to this process, however — Isn’t there always? It is possible that after the microorganisms devour the massive oil spill they could introduce the heavy metals present in the spill into the food chain. Larger organisms eat them and on up the ladder until it reaches humans. So though bioremediation may be lessening the initial impact of oil spills on the surrounding waters it could be introducing that very oil spill into our diets.
Read more: Seeding Naturally Occuring Bacteria Could Help Clean Oil Spill | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World
Monday, May 3, 2010
New Technique Holds Hope for Oil Spill Cleanup
NEW ORLEANS — Officials in charge of the cleanup of a massive oil spill now approaching three Gulf Coast states said Saturday that a new technique in battling the leaks 5,000 feet beneath the sea showed promise.
Among the various weapons employed against the gushing crude has been the distribution of chemical dispersants on the water’s surface to break down the oil. The new approach involves the deployment of the dispersants underwater, near the source of the leaks. Officials said that in two tests, that method appeared to be keeping crude oil from rising to the surface. They said that the procedure could be used more frequently once evaluations of its impact on the deepwater ecology were completed.
Those experiments at the wellhead of the collapsed Deepwater Horizon oil rig were just one sign of the frantic efforts to contain the estimated 210,000 gallons a day still leaking 11 days after the rig exploded and sank.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that she was changing the federal leadership of the oil spill operations. Adm. Thad W. Allen, the commandant of the Coast Guard, is now directly overseeing the work of Rear Adm. Mary E. Landry, who had been in charge of the response. Admiral Allen was in charge of the federal response to Hurricane Katrina.
In his first daily briefing, Admiral Allen emphasized that capping the well was the priority.
“Estimates are useful, but we are planning far beyond that,” he said. It doesn’t really matter, the admiral said, whether it is 1,000 barrels or 5,000 barrels a day that are leaking.
Asked whether the slick was affecting shipping lanes and other offshore drilling operations, Admiral Allen said that disruptions had been minimal.
The tenor on shore among local residents was increasingly angry, with criticism directed at federal officials, who they said should have responded more quickly after the rig exploded April 20. Some said that not enough booms had been placed in the area, and fishermen noted the growing public concern over contaminated seafood, though they said such worries were premature.
Doug Helton, a fisheries biologist who coordinates oil spill responses for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said Saturday that more than 600,000 feet of boom had been deployed or was being readied for deployment. He acknowledged that there was just not enough of it to cover the vast shoreline.
Six of the 32 oyster beds on the east side of the Mississippi River have been closed, and the oil was still 70 or 80 miles away, according to Mike Voisin, chairman of the Louisiana Oyster Task Force.
“We want people to know there is not tainted seafood right now,” said Harlon Pearce, chairman of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board and owner of Harlon’s LA Fish. “Everything we’re doing is precautionary.”
Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana said at a news conference that he would meet soon with leaders from coastal parishes to develop local contingency plans. He called on BP, the company responsible for the cleanup, to pay for the plans and for the Coast Guard to approve them, arguing that local officials’ perspectives would prove crucial in the emergency response.
“This isn’t just about our coast, it’s about our way of life in Louisiana,” Mr. Jindal said.
Among the various weapons employed against the gushing crude has been the distribution of chemical dispersants on the water’s surface to break down the oil. The new approach involves the deployment of the dispersants underwater, near the source of the leaks. Officials said that in two tests, that method appeared to be keeping crude oil from rising to the surface. They said that the procedure could be used more frequently once evaluations of its impact on the deepwater ecology were completed.
Those experiments at the wellhead of the collapsed Deepwater Horizon oil rig were just one sign of the frantic efforts to contain the estimated 210,000 gallons a day still leaking 11 days after the rig exploded and sank.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that she was changing the federal leadership of the oil spill operations. Adm. Thad W. Allen, the commandant of the Coast Guard, is now directly overseeing the work of Rear Adm. Mary E. Landry, who had been in charge of the response. Admiral Allen was in charge of the federal response to Hurricane Katrina.
In his first daily briefing, Admiral Allen emphasized that capping the well was the priority.
“Estimates are useful, but we are planning far beyond that,” he said. It doesn’t really matter, the admiral said, whether it is 1,000 barrels or 5,000 barrels a day that are leaking.
Asked whether the slick was affecting shipping lanes and other offshore drilling operations, Admiral Allen said that disruptions had been minimal.
The tenor on shore among local residents was increasingly angry, with criticism directed at federal officials, who they said should have responded more quickly after the rig exploded April 20. Some said that not enough booms had been placed in the area, and fishermen noted the growing public concern over contaminated seafood, though they said such worries were premature.
Doug Helton, a fisheries biologist who coordinates oil spill responses for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said Saturday that more than 600,000 feet of boom had been deployed or was being readied for deployment. He acknowledged that there was just not enough of it to cover the vast shoreline.
Six of the 32 oyster beds on the east side of the Mississippi River have been closed, and the oil was still 70 or 80 miles away, according to Mike Voisin, chairman of the Louisiana Oyster Task Force.
“We want people to know there is not tainted seafood right now,” said Harlon Pearce, chairman of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board and owner of Harlon’s LA Fish. “Everything we’re doing is precautionary.”
Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana said at a news conference that he would meet soon with leaders from coastal parishes to develop local contingency plans. He called on BP, the company responsible for the cleanup, to pay for the plans and for the Coast Guard to approve them, arguing that local officials’ perspectives would prove crucial in the emergency response.
“This isn’t just about our coast, it’s about our way of life in Louisiana,” Mr. Jindal said.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Monday, June 15, 2009
NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR ELIMINATING OIL STAINS ON YOUR PROPERTY
Around the house you aren't going to run into fuel spills in the millions of gallons like the Valdez oil spill. But a new retail product that was used to clean up the Valdez spill is available by the quart to homeowners, and can give new life to oil-stained driveways, concrete, garages, and even soil.That's big news. An oil stain on the driveway can not only lower your property's value, but it can also be tracked into your home and damage your floors and carpets. And if you keep tools in your garage such as weed trimmers and lawnmowers, they can drip oil or fuel and leave stains and foul petrol odors in your garage.It's been difficult to eliminate oil spills until recently. The rags and sand that we endlessly dump on spills don’t actually eliminate the hydrocarbon contamination. In fact, they become hazmats that you shouldn’t throw away casually (if you're going to follow your local environmental regulations). Many people just wait for spills they cause to seep into the ground or evaporate. While you're looking for the easiest and best solution for all these little spills, consider bioremediation: It's a natural process at oil spill sites where bacteria break down fuels into harmless by-products like water. There are products available now that dramatically accelerate this process. While bioremediation is EPA-approved, oil-spill tested, and a green method for actually breaking down hydrocarbons, it has only recently become available on the retail market.There are basically two approaches to bioremediation. One method, offered by OilGoneEasy.com, uses super nutrients to attract microbes to the spill which break down oil into water. The other method, typified by a product such as Exima, involves factory-made bacteria that you pour right onto the spill. Even a product like Pour-n-Restore requires clean up and needs to be disposed of because it's just an absorbing agent... and yep, you're back at dealing with how to dispose of petrochemical waste which is a hazmat.
Oil Gone Easy S-200 took about a week to work in our tests and completely removed the oil stain. We were somewhat apprehensive about using Exima which introduced foreign bacteria to our spill site. We found that Oil Gone Easy S-200 was more effective because it recruited local bacteria rather than introducing alien microorganisms to the contaminated area. Oil Gone Easy S-200 liquid encapsulated the fuel spill immediately, preventing it from evaporating (or even washing away in rain) or seeping further into the ground. It also immediately eliminated the petrochemical odor. Oil Gone Easy S-200 biodegraded quickly after completely removing the oil spot. Exima did not completely eliminate the oil stain and was a far more costly method ounce for ounce vs. Oil Gone Easy S-200Oil Gone Easy S-200 makes it easy to follow through on cleaning up those little oil spills and stains we've been ignoring for too long. You can check out the company at www.OilGoneEasy.com
Oil Gone Easy S-200 took about a week to work in our tests and completely removed the oil stain. We were somewhat apprehensive about using Exima which introduced foreign bacteria to our spill site. We found that Oil Gone Easy S-200 was more effective because it recruited local bacteria rather than introducing alien microorganisms to the contaminated area. Oil Gone Easy S-200 liquid encapsulated the fuel spill immediately, preventing it from evaporating (or even washing away in rain) or seeping further into the ground. It also immediately eliminated the petrochemical odor. Oil Gone Easy S-200 biodegraded quickly after completely removing the oil spot. Exima did not completely eliminate the oil stain and was a far more costly method ounce for ounce vs. Oil Gone Easy S-200Oil Gone Easy S-200 makes it easy to follow through on cleaning up those little oil spills and stains we've been ignoring for too long. You can check out the company at www.OilGoneEasy.com
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Nanotubes and Bioremediation of Petrochemicals
Researchers at the University of Lancaster, United Kingdom, have shown that carbon nanotubes can pierce plant root cells, allowing other pollutants to easily infiltrate the cellular structure of plants. The researchers, Edward Wild and Kevin Jones, wanted to better understand the fate and interaction of nanoscale materials in the natural environment, due to the growth in production of these materials. Wild says "[T]here are also suggestions that nanomaterials might be useful in bioremediation, whether that's cleaning up groundwater or removing pollutants from contaminated sites, so we were interested to see what interactions there would be [with typical contaminants]." Wild and Jones used a special technique that allowed them to see exactly where molecules end up within the cellular structure of plants, bacteria, or fungi. The team examined nanoparticles of titanium dioxide, cerium dioxide, and multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), and found that the nanotubes pierced the cells, significantly accelerating the uptake, by the plant, of phenanthrene, a typical atmospheric pollutant arising from the burning of fossil fuels. The acceleration appeared to be caused by the nanotubes piercing the cells and acting as pipes, allowing the phenanthrene to infiltrate much more rapidly than it could have done otherwise. Jamie Lead, a specialist in environmental nanoscience from the University of Birmingham, UK, said "[T]his kind of 'Trojan horse' scenario has been talked about a lot, but it's nice to have confirmation and data to show that it is the case."
Numerous bioremediation products are currently being used globally to clean up petrochemical contamination. Notably, Oil Gone Easy in the United States has launched the first retail product utilizing this technilogy for home and marine use.
Numerous bioremediation products are currently being used globally to clean up petrochemical contamination. Notably, Oil Gone Easy in the United States has launched the first retail product utilizing this technilogy for home and marine use.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
New Green Technology to Clean Up Oil and Fuel Spills
Bioremediation technology used to clean up major oil spills is now available on the retail market for home and marine use.
Weston, CT
Oil Gone Easy S-200 Home and Driveway or Oil Gone Easy S-200 Marine is the first, handiest, and safest way to fix all those little oil spills we've been causing but haven't been fixing. Almost everyone who uses gas or oil, on land or on sea, has likely spilled some while filling the tank. The clean-up seems to create more problems than the original spill: rags, sand, and ponds of oily soap-water. And let's face it: anyone fueling an engine is on the way to work or play and doesn’t want to be delayed by cleaning up a few ounces of oil on the driveway or in the water. Oil Gone Easy S-200 brings the EPA-recognized, green technology of bioremediation to the home and boat owner. Powerful enough to work on massive oil spills such as the Prestige oil spill off the coast of Spain and the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska, Oil Gone Easy S-200 harnesses the power of microorganisms to fix the spill in a natural and environmentally-friendly way.Oil Gone Easy S-200 is applied simply: just estimate the amount of the spill, and apply an equal amount of Oil Gone Easy directly. (There is no need for complex mixing, although it can be used in any sprayer that handles watery fluids for larger areas.) On contact, Oil Gone Easy encapsulates the spill, protecting the site from further oil or fuel movement in water, sand, concrete or dirt. It then attracts and supports local bacteria which only eat hydrocarbons. These microorganisms break the spill down into water and harmless byproducts. And when the Oil Gone Easy S-200 is gone, the bacteria are gone, and so is the spill.This simple product is non-toxic, and because it uses only bacteria that live near the site, Oil Gone Easy S-200 is also friendly to the environment. It has substantial advantages over volatile solvents, powerful surfactants and messy physical cleanup efforts which can create more problems than the original spill. Used in a boat’s bilge, Oil Gone Easy S-200 won't weaken or damage your fiberglass or wood hull, and will continue to work safely for months to keep the bilge clean.Now, everyone who operates a car or boat, or any engine for that matter, can cleanly and "greenly" be responsible for the spill and have a cleaner conscience in the bargain.
For more information contact Scott Licamele (scott.licamele@OilGoneEasy.com) or visit www.OilGoneEasy.com
Bioremediation technology used to clean up major oil spills is now available on the retail market for home and marine use.
Weston, CT
Oil Gone Easy S-200 Home and Driveway or Oil Gone Easy S-200 Marine is the first, handiest, and safest way to fix all those little oil spills we've been causing but haven't been fixing. Almost everyone who uses gas or oil, on land or on sea, has likely spilled some while filling the tank. The clean-up seems to create more problems than the original spill: rags, sand, and ponds of oily soap-water. And let's face it: anyone fueling an engine is on the way to work or play and doesn’t want to be delayed by cleaning up a few ounces of oil on the driveway or in the water. Oil Gone Easy S-200 brings the EPA-recognized, green technology of bioremediation to the home and boat owner. Powerful enough to work on massive oil spills such as the Prestige oil spill off the coast of Spain and the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska, Oil Gone Easy S-200 harnesses the power of microorganisms to fix the spill in a natural and environmentally-friendly way.Oil Gone Easy S-200 is applied simply: just estimate the amount of the spill, and apply an equal amount of Oil Gone Easy directly. (There is no need for complex mixing, although it can be used in any sprayer that handles watery fluids for larger areas.) On contact, Oil Gone Easy encapsulates the spill, protecting the site from further oil or fuel movement in water, sand, concrete or dirt. It then attracts and supports local bacteria which only eat hydrocarbons. These microorganisms break the spill down into water and harmless byproducts. And when the Oil Gone Easy S-200 is gone, the bacteria are gone, and so is the spill.This simple product is non-toxic, and because it uses only bacteria that live near the site, Oil Gone Easy S-200 is also friendly to the environment. It has substantial advantages over volatile solvents, powerful surfactants and messy physical cleanup efforts which can create more problems than the original spill. Used in a boat’s bilge, Oil Gone Easy S-200 won't weaken or damage your fiberglass or wood hull, and will continue to work safely for months to keep the bilge clean.Now, everyone who operates a car or boat, or any engine for that matter, can cleanly and "greenly" be responsible for the spill and have a cleaner conscience in the bargain.
For more information contact Scott Licamele (scott.licamele@OilGoneEasy.com) or visit www.OilGoneEasy.com
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
How to Maintain Your Septic Tank - The Green Way
How Septikos® Works in Your Septic System
Septikos® Septic Tank Treatment is a dry powder that can, when simply flushed down the toilet, relieve septic systems of many of their most irritating and potentially costly problems. Septikos® eliminates nasty odors, relieves slow drainage and system backup, keeps wet spots from forming, puts an end to frequent pump-outs and keeps systems within regulatory specifications.
Septikos® powder is made up of essential, nutrients wrapped in an oleophilic coating, which helps it stick to oily and greasy substances that can line pipes and cause sludge to accumulate in the tank. As the bacteria utilize these substances, they get needed supplements to their diet from Septikos® and continue to grow and multiply into healthy, hungry populations that consume even more waste.
This healthy microbial population is the key to keeping a septic system working properly. True, there are naturally occurring microbes living in any septic system, but they often lack the right balance of nutrients to keep them in peak performance. Septikos® gives them the missing elements of their diet so they can break down waste more efficiently and reproduce much faster.
Once Septikos® is flushed down the toilet, it flows through the pipes and the septic tank, sticking to greasy buildup all along the way. As microbes move through the system, they find the nutrients and digest them along with the old and new wastes. In this way, microbes are able to break down years’ worth of buildup in the pipes, the tank, and even in the leach field.
Septikos® also helps microbes work on the sludge that accumulates on the bottom of the septic tank. As sludge is reduced, water can spend more time in the system, allowing more time for proper degradation. That means that less waste will leave the septic tank and the microbes will have more time to destroy harmful bacteria. The result is a more pure effluent, the way nature intended it to be.
Septikos® works in both aerobic and anaerobic systems. The product is safe and easy to use. It contains no harsh chemicals or toxic ingredients, and is applied by flushing about a cup of the powdery product down the toilet each month. There are no fillers in Septikos®.
Septikos® Septic Tank Treatment is a dry powder that can, when simply flushed down the toilet, relieve septic systems of many of their most irritating and potentially costly problems. Septikos® eliminates nasty odors, relieves slow drainage and system backup, keeps wet spots from forming, puts an end to frequent pump-outs and keeps systems within regulatory specifications.
Septikos® powder is made up of essential, nutrients wrapped in an oleophilic coating, which helps it stick to oily and greasy substances that can line pipes and cause sludge to accumulate in the tank. As the bacteria utilize these substances, they get needed supplements to their diet from Septikos® and continue to grow and multiply into healthy, hungry populations that consume even more waste.
This healthy microbial population is the key to keeping a septic system working properly. True, there are naturally occurring microbes living in any septic system, but they often lack the right balance of nutrients to keep them in peak performance. Septikos® gives them the missing elements of their diet so they can break down waste more efficiently and reproduce much faster.
Once Septikos® is flushed down the toilet, it flows through the pipes and the septic tank, sticking to greasy buildup all along the way. As microbes move through the system, they find the nutrients and digest them along with the old and new wastes. In this way, microbes are able to break down years’ worth of buildup in the pipes, the tank, and even in the leach field.
Septikos® also helps microbes work on the sludge that accumulates on the bottom of the septic tank. As sludge is reduced, water can spend more time in the system, allowing more time for proper degradation. That means that less waste will leave the septic tank and the microbes will have more time to destroy harmful bacteria. The result is a more pure effluent, the way nature intended it to be.
Septikos® works in both aerobic and anaerobic systems. The product is safe and easy to use. It contains no harsh chemicals or toxic ingredients, and is applied by flushing about a cup of the powdery product down the toilet each month. There are no fillers in Septikos®.
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