BIEMS is proud to announce the release of our Feasibility Study of Bioremediation Treatment in the Wynyard Quarter.  Below is the Executive Summary, to access the full document use the contact details at the bottom of the page.

Executive Summary

This report, Bioremediation Treatment in the Wynyard Quarter Auckland, is prepared for the Auckland Waterfront Development Agency Limited, to consider the options and recommendations for treating and improving the environmental impact that leaching of petrochemicals has produced in the area known as the Wynyard Quarter.

Site locations have been identified through consultation, discussion and meetings with relevant stakeholders over a period of time. The primary stakeholders are identified. Comments from contractors are discussed in the document and photos of some of the treated areas are included. Subsoils and groundwater samples were taken for laboratory testing. The results are shown in the report.

The feasibility study contained within the attached documentation outlines the following key areas:

1. Introduction
2. Existing conditions
3. Proposed treatment options
4. Advantages and disadvantages of proposed options
5. Some estimate of costs for treatment options
6. Recommendations.

The feasibility study recommends the following actions be taken:

1. Managed by spraying with Biems bioremediation with all excavated soils and subsoils to remove atmospheric odour and help breakdown petrochemicals. This option provides for the short term need which will alleviate immediate offensive odour problems.
2. Inject Biems bioremediation into the subsoils to breakdown the petrochemicals and alleviate the environmental impact in the Wynyard Quarter. This option provides a longer term enhancement to the area and will continue working even if soils and subsoils are removed to a landfill.

To get a copy of the full document please get in contact.

Gary Lord MCM
Senior Consultant,
Specialising in Bioremediation,
Construction Management & Civil Environmental Eng.

Email: garylordnz@gmail.com
LinkedIn: Gary Lord
Mobile: 0274 754 761
Phone: +64 9 522 4409

Background

Suva is the largest city in Oceania with one fifth of the Fijian population, approximately 180,000 in 2005, living in this urban center.

The Samabula Sewage System comprises a series of sewage pumping stations which feed into the Kinoya Sewage Treatment Plant. This project used four stations/sites to test the ability of BIEMS bioremediation natural enzymes to reduce odour and to analyse the effects upon the hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and biological oxygen demand (BOD) levels in the septic waste stream.

Scenario

The areas surrounding the pumping stations had reported for some years ongoing emanation of odiferous gases.

Odours and stenches are an indication of, and by product of septic sewage. These gases can be extremely dangerous carrying corrosive substances and bacteria within them.

Methodology

BIEMS bioremediation natural enzymes were chosen as laboratory trials had indicated the results would be significant when applied in the field.  Dosing systems were established to continually dose Biems.

Results

Over the three month period using BIEMS bioremediation natural enzymes the obnoxious odours were eliminated from the dosed pump stations and surrounding areas.

The results also revealed fats and oils were removed and there was reduced scum in the network.

After the 3rd month of treatment with BIEMS bioremediation natural enzymes, the evidence shows that the product is effectively capable of eradicating the production and emanation of odiferous gases and also prevents sewage from turning septic throughout the system to the Kinoya Wastewater Treatment Plant and is substantiated with the data in the full report.

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This is a brief overview of an independent study carried out in Suva, Fiji. If you would like to request a full copy please get in contact.

The organic wastes of pond life forms allow for the production of soluble phosphorus and nitrogen, excess of these compounds may stimulate the overgrowth of algae. Algae Degrading Seed uses natural bacterial ability to utilise phosphorus and nitrogen compounds for growth.

Bacteria use very simple compounds as food and nutrient sources, they can actively grow on waste matter. Nitrogen and phosphorus are used by bacteria in very similar ways to that of simple plants such as algae. Unlike algae, however, most bacteria do not require sunlight for energy and some do not need oxygen.

The breakdown of carbon compounds in the pond environment provide the energy needed by bacteria, but if these compounds are derived solely from organic waste debris they may not be adequate for the metabolism of large amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus. Just as fish in a pond require a balanced diet complete with micronutrients for optimum growth, so do bacteria. Algae Degrading Seed provides the missing components, together with strains of bacteria that naturally metabolise the excess nitrogen and phosphorus in the pond ecosystem.

Bacteria can work day and night by deriving energy from carbon compounds rather than photosynthesis, so they do not cause the diurnal variations in dissolved oxygen characteristic of large algae populations. This nutrient removal ability without the need of sunlight gives bacteria a substantial advantage in the utilisation of nutrients.

Some bacteria do not need free oxygen, known as facultative anaerobes, they grow by utilising compounds such as nitrates as an oxygen substitute in their metabolic process. These bacteria not only use ammonia nitrogen as a building block but by using nitrogen compounds as an energy source they help maintain a balanced pond ecosystem by limiting the level of nitrogen compounds.

Algae Degrading Seed is not an algaecide, it is a blend of natural micro-organisms and growth accelerators that remove excess nutrients from the water column.

Clean clear water with an extra bonus of increased oxygen content enhance the benefits of treatment with Algae Degrading Seed.

Biems has Case Studies around the usage of Bioremediation to treat algal blooms.  Please get in contact to request a copy.

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Photo Credit: Iansand

We know from expertise that by spraying the surface area of the ponds or dosing the pond with BIEMS Bioremediation. That the water quality is greatly enhanced with the lowing of H2S, BOD and other unwanted trace elements.

The question is

What effects would BIEMS Bioremediation have on the soil and grasses which are sprays or irrigated with the treated wastewater from the oxidation pond once dosed with Biems?

If we sprayed/pump the oxidation pond wastewater dosed with Biems, it will have its effects on the receiving soils and grass, by removing or greatly lowering the H2S,BOD and ammonium levels plus other unwanted trace elements.

Possible Outcomes
Biems will still keep working on the soil after the treated oxidation pond water is sprayed or irrigated/pumped to the pasture.

The grasses will benefit from the nutrients added by Biems.  The application rates can be determined from the amount of water that is in the oxidation ponds or calculated at the rate of litres per Hectare or gallon per acre of soil that the treated wastewater will be added to.

Contact us for further information on treatment type for your application.

Below we have included some documentation that we prepared to deal with such a situation.

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Background
Removing odour from gases forming in deep piling wells. The odiferous gases that are formed from old landfills which have been used to dump coal, ash, coke, other unknown substances and metals/steel.

It is understood that some of the gases maybe Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S) and Methane that emanate as the wells are drilled.

We could sprayed a mixture of Biems and water into the drilled area as drilling is taking place to breakdown the gases/odour however this may just dissipate to fast and not remover all odours.

Treatment Option
In this scenario a filter system as would be beneficial, using what is called a bio pile or bio filter. That is made with a large pile of compost or sawdust that would then cover pipes with holes in them. The gas will be discharged into the pile of compost. We will treat the compost with Biems and also keep it moist. The microbes will grow on the compost and consume the gaseous odours.

In each scenario determination of the amount of gas released will dictate the size of the bio pile.

As room is a factor on construction sites utilising a compost duvet as a filter would save room and time.  A Compost Duvet could look some thing like this.

This duvet keeps the compost as a contained unit which can be relocated as required.

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Outcomes

Using the solution suggested (over alternatives) means that:

• Much smaller footprint which allows for maximisation of the construction area
• Avoids usage of tents which can alarm the public (due to worries about safety)
• The solution is portable allowing the treatment to be relocated as construction develops
• Air Scrubbing requires significant investment in capital costs whereas Biems is a cost effective alternative. In some instances a factor of ten is the gap between the cost of alternatives and Biems.
• Utilises natural processes to fix the problem which are sustainable

Photo Credit: Stello74

If you would like to find out how Biems Bioremediation to help you, give us a call or email.

Rapid breakdown of effluent, Increased plant capacity & plant life

Added food sources to help with Anaerobic OR Aerobic activity(depending on your biological inbalance)

Reduce BOD Levels, Reduce Sulphide Levels, Stops offensive odours

Decreases hyroden sulphides, Fast acting, Breakdown of excess oil and fats

The plant on Waiheke Island in the Auckland Harbour is a relatively small plant handling approximately 22 –23 cu metres per day of raw waste with a high concentration of food and oil waste from restaurants.

BIEMS is easily added to all types of existing waste treatment systems and the local maintenance team were capable of treating and monitoring this plant. Within the first 36 hours of adding 10 litres of BIEMS to the main waste inlet for the treatment of odour and oxydiziation the intense odour was reduced to a sweet compost smell and within five days a mil objectional odour was recorded.

It is also worth noting that after treatment with BIEMS the aeration system was adjusted to run at on quarter of the previous volume as the waste was being oxydized by the bioremediation treatment to such an extent that the overall system was running more efficiently with consequent cost saving in power and energy.

The owners have continued treatment with BIEMS successfully and now are implementing an automatic dosing system to allow a more consistent operation and treatment of the waste material.

“The input of sewage from the city area is average of 100 litres per second during dry weather conditions, sewage from other areas constitute another 100 litres per second, the total volume of BIEMS was calculated at approximately 4.5 litres per day for the initial dosing.

Twenty litres of BIEMS was obtained for Field Trials at Suva Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant. The trial was intended for dry weather conditions and first test on 4th – 5th August 1997 was suspended due to heavy rain and storm water infiltrations.

The second trial was carried out from 19th – 26th September 1997. A mechanical dosing system was improvised at a Pumping Station. The dosing rate on the first day was 3.5 litres per day, reducing to 2.1 litres per day, an average of 2.8 litres per day on a flow of 180 litres per second.

It is estimated that if dosing with BIEMS is carried out continuously the terminal rate could be reduced to 1.8 litres per day on a flow of 180 litres per second.

The odour level significantly reduced by 24th September, on 25th September no odour whatsoever was detected. Dosing has definitely produced remarkable results with a virtually zero odour level; one would be unable to detect the existence of a Sewage Treatment Plant.

The effectiveness of BIEMS in the elimination of septic odours is indisputable. It also has the property to degrade dissolved organic materials and floatables such as fats and oils. It can therefore be used at all Sewage Treatment Plants throughout the country. It can also be sprayed on the surface of anaerobic sewage lagoons to dissolve surface scum and to deodorize.

Due to the successful outcome of these laboratory tests and field trials a decision has now been made to utilise BIEMS at Suva Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Read more of our FAQ’s to find out more information.

“The sample of BIEMS which you sent recently for analysis has been tested with the raw sewage at Suva Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, it is a fairly large plant servicing the area around Suva to Davilevu. Besides domestic waste the plant also receives trade wastes from several large factories.

Consequently the composition of the raw sewage entering Suva Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant is fairly complex. The average Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) is approximately 450mg/L. Typical domestic sewage BOD is about 300mg/L. The variations indicate the presence of other stronger wastes as well.

New sewage samples were collected during peak flow period (1030 hrs). The samples had a BOD of 780mg/L and were considered to be fairly strong.

A blank and a control were put to test at the same time. The blank was the sewage sample without BIEMS and the control was fresh water from a creek. For technical reasons distilled water was not taken as control.

There was a distinct difference between the two tests. The sample with BIEMS was free of any characteristic raw sewage odour in approximately 90 minutes time while the blank still had the sewage odour.

The samples were left open for seven days in the open environment and exposed to outside weather conditions. The blank turned rather black in colour with some scum on top, it had turned septic well before the seventh day and produced an obnoxious odour. The sample with BIEMS remained virtually odourless. The control remained clear with a slightly stale muddy odour.

BIEMS if used in correct doses will definitely reduce odour problems particularly in raw sewage as shown by the above tests. It will however need to be used in the Sewage Pumping Stations and the actual conditions studied more closely.”

Read some more FAQ’s or Contact us for immediate help.