What is Bioremediation?

A Natural Solution

Bioremediation is nature's way of cleaning up. Technically, it is the accelerated breakdown of organic compounds through the use of enzymes, bacteria, or fungi. It's a safe, environmentally-friendly way to handle many kinds of hazardous waste and is supported by the EPA as a viable solution for cleanup of oil spills and other contaminants.

How Bioremediation Works in the Durst SmartWasher

The Durst SmartWasher uses a special OzzyMat to introduce microbes (including Ozzy, our microbe mascot!) into the cleaning process.  Under a proprietary procedure, these microbes have been combined to form a colony that thrives and multiplies once activated in the Durst SmartWasher.

The colony of microbes remains dormant until the OzzyMat is inserted into the washer and the OzzyJuice, our nonhazardous parts cleaning solution, is added -- then Ozzy goes immediately to work.  As the solution begins circulating, Ozzy moves throughout the machine, attacking and eating oil and grease particles.

While Ozzy aggressively attacks oil and grime, that's all he will attack. He does not work on foreign substances, such as industrial grade metal and natural rubber, and is nonpathogenic and completely safe for you to use. Unlike mineral spirits, OzzyJuice doesn't sting or burn and actually feels good on bare hands!

About our Microbes

Ozzy and his cousins -- the living components in the Durst SmartWasher parts cleaning system --are actually a highly specialized blend of cultures specifically selected and adapted to degrade a wide range of organic wastes.  These microbes are introduced into the system through the OzzyMat and then circulate throughout the washer.

Microbes Are Safe to Use

While the thought of a product being based on live microbes might seem a little strange, it is actually an environmentally sound concept.  Microbes are a common occurrence in nature.  Microbes of all types are constantly around us; they are on your body right now, even though they cannot be seen with the naked eye.

While some microbes are "bad" for human survival, most microbes have either no impact on humans or affect us in positive ways.  The microbes used in the Durst SmartWasher are completely safe to humans and the environment.  The 8 strains of microbes present in the OzzyMat are all classified as American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) Class I.  Organisms in this classification have no recognized hazard potential under ordinary conditions of handling.  They are subject to unrestricted distribution by the ATCC, U.S. Department of Health, Public Health Service and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TOSCA).  Organisms receive this classification only after extensive study and review by ATCC and government committees.

Each strain of microbes used in our OzzyMat is developed with regular integrity checks under ISO 9002 conditions.  During the manufacturing process, supplier personnel and outside laboratories perform antibiotic screenings and check for contamination.   Production or fermentation is done under exacting clean conditions to insure that only desirable organisms are produced.

What Microbes Do

Microbes have been successfully used in petrochemical plants, chemical plants, refineries, food processing plants, marine barges, machine shop parts washers, truck washes, wood treating plants and ground water remediation applications.  Our microbes, in particular, remediate:

The microbes in the Durst SmartWasher have been proven effective in wastewaters containing BOD or COD in excess of 50,000 mg/l.   They have been used to achieve consistent effluents with ranging influent organic levels, improve settle-ability of biological solids, correct low or inconsistent MLVSS numbers, and control foam production from partially degraded organics.

How the Microbes Work

The basic procedure has two parts:

• Hydrocarbon-eating microbes are blended with special nutrients and catalysts and then introduced into petroleum-contaminated water.  The microbes bond to the petroleum molecules and begin discharging enzymes that break down the hydocarbon structures into more water soluble, digestible materials that are subsequently absorbed through the cell wall and digested further. 
   
• The catalysts mixed with the microbes speed up the organisms' rate of reproduction and digestion.  When provided a supportive environment, the bioremediation materials continue to manufacture themselves throughout the contaminated water, increasing the overall biomass of microbes in an exponential manner until all of the available hydrocarbons are consumed.  The end result is that the water that was previously polluted with petroleum becomes "clean," with all the hydrocarbons converted to water and carbon dioxide.

Copyright © 2001- 2003 Durst Motor and Electric Industries Pty Limited Phone: intl+ 61 2 9660 1755  Email: SmartWasher@Durst.com.au ABN: 44 000 059 870
Images are not to any scale.  Specifications are subject to change without notice. Any errors, inaccuracies or misdescriptions must be accepted.