BIOREMEDIATION OF HYDROCARBON CONTAMINATED SOILS AND WATER

• Main Author: EVELYN NOBLES DRAKE
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 31.03.2006
• Subjects: ADHESIVES; CHEMICAL MATERIALS FOR USE IN BREATHING APPARATUS; CHEMICAL MEANS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES OR FOR COMBATING ORPROTECTING AGAINST HARMFUL CHEMICAL AGENTS; CHEMISTRY; DEVICES, APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR LIFE-SAVING; DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTE; DYES; FERTILISERS; FERTILISERS CHARACTERISED BY THEIR FORM; FIRE-FIGHTING; HUMAN NECESSITIES; LIFE-SAVING; MANUFACTURE THEREOF; MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FORELSEWHERE; METALLURGY; MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS; MISCELLANEOUS COMPOSITIONS; MIXTURES OF FERTILISERS COVERED INDIVIDUALLY BY DIFFERENTSUBCLASSES OF CLASS C05; MIXTURES OF ONE OR MORE FERTILISERS WITH MATERIALS NOT HAVINGA SPECIFIC FERTILISING ACTIVITY, e.g. PESTICIDES,SOIL-CONDITIONERS, WETTING AGENTS; NATURAL RESINS; ORGANIC FERTILISERS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C05B, C05C, e.g. FERTILISERS FROM WASTE OR REFUSE; PAINTS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; POLISHES; RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINATED SOIL; RECLAMATION OF CONTAMINED SOIL SOIL; TRANSPORTING; TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE

THE PRESENT INVENTION PROVIDES AN ENHANCED BIODEGRADATION PROCESS BY APPLYING TO PETROLEUM CONTAMINATED SOIUL OR WATER ESSENTIAL MICROBIAL NUTRIENTS IN A FORM CAPABLE OF RELEASING THE NUTRIENTS OVER TIME AT A RATE WHICH, AT 25°C, IS SUBSTANTIALLY LINEAR. IMPORTANTLY, IN A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION, THE MICROBIAL NUTRIENTS THAT ARE APPLIED TO THE SOIL OR WATER ARE IN A FORM SUCH THAT THE RELEASE OF NUTRIENTS AT 38°C WILL BE GREATER THAN THAT AT 25°C BY A FACTOR OF ABOUT 2.5 TO 6.0, AND PREFERABLY FROM A FACTOR OF ABOUT 3 TO ABOUT 5.0.