“..the process of adding materials to contaminated environments to cause the acceleration of the natural biodegradation process”  In common tongue it is the process of adding nutrients to organic absorbents to speed up the natural break down of spilled hydrocarbons (oils).

“.. in the case of commercial bioremediation products, the literature is virtually completely lacking in supportive evidence of success…” US EPA July 2004 

The History

Louisiana marshlands had a deadly mix of tall grasses, shallow water, soft soils, abundant wild life and oil pipelines. The inability to recover spilt oil led to research at the Louisiana State University Agricultural Centre, to develop a means of treating the spilled oil without having to recover the end product. Dr Gary Breitenbeck used milled bagasse (the ½ to 1 inch long fibrous waste product of the sugar industry), enriched it with ammonia (bagasse, ammonia and air are pressurised to 1,000 PSI). The process produces nitrogen compounds within the bagasse that the microbes use to convert hydrocarbons into humic material. The process, used in the wetlands where the microbes are abundant, seemed to prove an effective means of containing and breaking down hydrocarbons where spills could not be recovered (ensuring hydrocarbons were broken down in 90 days).

Commercialisation

It was then considered that a commercial product usable in a variety of environments could be possible. It was considered that by “adding microbes (found in wetlands naturally) to the material (it) would improve the efficiency of the process especially in sandy areas where they aren’t as prevalent”. This hypothesis has resulted in numerous organic absorbent producers adding microbes to their product and claiming the access to the ‘Holy Grail’ of bioremediation.

Bioremediation has now been extensively used as a viable and effective selling point for organic absorbents, however the fact is that in a recent report, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found as late as July 2004 that there was little hard evidence that the process actually “enhanced biodegradation”.

Many products now advertise the fact that they are listed as a bioremediation agent on the NCP Product Schedule having passed the required “protocol developed by the US EPA (NETAC, 1993a: Nichols, 2001”. However the US EPA has made it quite clear that “listing on the schedule does not mean the product is approved or certified for use on an oil spill. At present the only efficacy requirement for being listed is to pass the Bioremediation 28-Day Effectiveness Test….. This test alone cannot demonstrate that the product will be effective in the field” 

Reasons 

Most bioremediation products now combine both elements by adding bacteria and altering the environment by watering and aerating the soil over a 7-14 day period. This ongoing caring of the spill site not only increases cost but is likely to be the main accelerant to the hydrocarbons’ degradation rather than the bacteria additives. It is likely that the simple process of adding the four elements for degradation of: organic matter, water, air (aerating the ground) and heat increases the degradation naturally and the added microbes make no significant difference.

Bioremediation consists of two main approaches, these are:

1.       Bioaugmentation - adding oil degrading bacteria to supplement existing microbial population;

2.       Biostimulation – stimulating the growth of existing oil degraders by the addition of nutrients or altering the existing environment.

Sokerol Australia’s Position

Sokerol Australia will provide a bacteria additive product when and only when there is firm evidence that such additives will increase the speed of the hydrocarbons natural degradation.

Sokerol is a 100% organic non-leaching oil absorbent and as such will retain the hydrocarbon until it naturally degrades, making it harmless to the environment and preventing the need for bacterial additives.

The natural time for degradation may be shortened by simply applying small quantities of an agricultural fertiliser and water. In suburban areas we recommend simply placing used Sokerol in your compost.

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA/600/R-04/075) in July, 2004 titled “Literature Review on the Use of Commercial Bioremediation Agents for Cleanup of Oil-Contaminated Estuarine Environments” states:

“Although extensive research has been conducted on oil bioremediation during the last decade, the effectiveness of this technology has only rarely been convincingly demonstrated, and in the case of commercial bioremediation products, the literature is virtually completely lacking in supportive evidence of success………The success of oil spill bioremediation depends on one’s ability to establish and maintain conditions that favour enhanced oil biodegradation rates in the contaminated environment.”

Reference: EPA/600/R-04/075 dated July 2004

Site Remediation Information Sheet (click here to download)

Microbe Additives (Bugs in Bags) Information Sheet (click here to download)