Bioremediation Products Demonstrated to USCG

The U.S. Coast Guard recently received a demonstration of two Spillaway brand bio-remediation products, which contain live bacteria or spores that "eat" oil and fuel. Spillaway products are distributed by MEM International.

Bio-remediation uses naturally occurring microorganisms to degrade harmful chemicals into non-toxic compounds. Microorganisms break down a wide variety of organic compounds that are found in nature to obtain energy for their growth. In particular, these organisms will break down petroleum hydrocarbons and transform them into carbon dioxide and water. Bio-remediation harnesses this natural process by promoting the growth of microorganisms that can degrade contaminants and convert them into non-toxic by-products. The bio-remediation process is natural. Instead of merely transferring contaminants from one environmental medium to another (water to air), bio-remediation destroys the target chemicals. Second, bio-remediation can often be accomplished where the problem is located. This eliminates the hazard of transporting the waste. Spillaway products are designed to be simple, safe, good for the environment, and much less expensive than other technologies.

One of the products demonstrated to the Coast Guard was Spillaway +, a powder used to absorb spills. The product bonds to oil, confining the spill, while the bacteria breaks down the oil over the course of a few hours. The end result is a harmless powder that can be disposed of overboard, put in the trash, or reused. The second product demonstrated was Navalkleen, a liquid designed to dispose of oil in bilges or in the oily waste holding tank. The product is designed to lessen the stress on the oily water separator by consuming the oil before it is processed.

MEM International offers both these products as well as the full array of environmentally-friendly bio-remediation products from Spillaway. The products are not hazmat and can be ordered directly by the unit.