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Bioremediation &
Treatability Center (BTC) provides
analytical, microcosm testing, pilot
testing, bioaugmentation services and
engineering support to environmental
consultants and industry. We are a
highly qualified, experienced firm with
expertise in enhanced anaerobic dechlorination (EAD), co-metabolic
degradation, aerobic degradation and more
conventional chemical and physical treatment
technologies such as ion exchange and
chemical oxidation. BTC can conduct
almost any type of treatability test for
environmental site remediation.
Anaerobic Microcosm Testing
BTC is proficient at conducting microcosm
tests for enhanced anaerobic dechlorination.
Our procedures incorporate sealed bottle
testing for EAD and can evaluate the
benefits of electron donor addition
(lactate, whey, corn syrup etc.), inorganic
amendments, and bioaugmentation. Our
microcosms further evaluate toxicity, ideal
concentrations of contaminants for
bioremediation, use of supplements such as
vitamin B12, nano-scale iron and other
reductants. Our microcosm testing
procedures provide for over 90% mass basis
accounting, demonstrating the high quality
and reproducibility of our work. A
well conducted microcosm test can eliminate
the need for costly pilot testing.
Aerobic & Co-Metabolic Microcosm
Testing
BTC is also proficient at conducting aerobic
microcosm tests for degradation of hydrocarbons with special emphasis on MTBE.
Our BW-05 bioaugmentation culture can degrade MTBE in-situ or ex-situ. We
also conduct testing for co-metabolic degradation
of chlorinated VOCs and 1,4 Dioxane as well
as aerobic degradation of chlorobenzenes.
Our procedures include sealed bottle
testing and can evaluate the idealized
concentrations of the various additives.
Our microcosms further evaluate toxicity
(especially important for co-metabolic
degradation), ideal concentrations of
contaminants for bioremediation, use of
supplements such as vitamin B12. We
are also experienced in setting up and
conducting aerobic degradation microcosms
for hydrocarbon and manufactured gas plant
wastes. Our microcosm testing
procedures provide for over 90% mass basis
accounting, demonstrating the high quality
and reproducibility of our work. A
well conducted microcosm test can eliminate
the need for costly pilot testing.
Natural Attenuation & Analytical
Testing
BTC provides analytical testing for the
following bioremediation and natural
attenuation related parameters:
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Dissolved gases (methane,
ethane, etc) |
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Perchlorate |
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VOCs screen (quantitative,
not certified) |
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Dissolved Hydrogen |
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Carbon Dioxide |
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Ortho-Phosphate |
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1,4 Dioxane |
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Hydrogen Sulfide |
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Organic acids (lactate,
acetate, etc.) |
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Alkalinity |
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Sulfate |
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Iron |
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Nitrate |
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Manganese |
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Nitrite |
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Ammonia |
Interpretation Services for Natural
Attenuation Data
BTC's highly qualified staff can provide you
with site specific interpretation of natural
attenuation data for sites impacted by
hydrocarbons and/or chlorinated solvents.
This interpretation lays the foundation for
assessing whether natural attenuation alone
can serve as a remedial technology or
whether bioremediation enhancement is
required. Interpretation services are
provided for a fee and are not part of the
analytical testing services.
Bioaugmentation
Culturing & Sales
BTC has the following commercially available
bioaugmentation cultures:
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NJ-14 Mixed Culture
Degrades PCE, TCE, 1,2 DCE, VC
to ethene; also degrades 1,1 DCE,
1,2 DCA; degrades 1,1,1 TCA, 1,1
DCA to chloroethane (CA) and
ethane sulfides. This is
the most robust, commercially
available culture in the USA-
can degrade hundreds of mg/L of
TCE/PCE and up to 50 mg/L of
1,1,1 TCA. We expect that
with acclimation, higher TCA
concentrations can be degraded.
BEWARE that most other
commercially available
bioaugmentation cultures (such
as KB-1) can not degrade TCA and
are chloroform intolerant (Water
Research 36:4193).
BTC is the only firm authorized
(by the site owner) to grow and
sell the NJ-14 dehalococcoides
ethenogenes (DE) mixed culture.
The NJ-14 mixed culture is the
most robust commercially
available DE culture, having its
origins from a site contaminated
with almost every VOC on the
8260 list at concentrations in
the thousands of ppm! The
NJ-14 mixed culture is 1,1,1 TCA
resistant and can degrade
hundreds of mg/L of PCE and TCA
series compounds. Our
NJ-14 mixed culture is also
capable of dechlorinating PCE
and TCA in the presence of up to
7 mg/L of chloroform.
BW-05 MTBE Culture
Our BW-05 culture can aerobically degrade MTBE as the sole carbon source.
The culture can be added in-situ to the area of air sparging or can be seeded to
an above ground reactor/vessel such as GAC (must be pressure rated) to minimize
GAC consumption and maximize MTBE degradation.
SL-D
Culture
Propanotroph that degrades 1,4
Dioxane, TCE, 1,1,1 TCA, DCA,
DCE , VC to carbon dioxide.
BTC is also the only firm authorized
(by the site owner) for the
SL-D propanotroph culture that
can degrade tens of mg/L of 1,4
Dioxane (plus TCE, TCA) within
hours in the presence of low
concentrations of dissolved
propane and oxygen.
Custom
Cultures BTC grows
its cultures in YOUR site water
and this process requires up to
120 days. As such, the
bioaugmentation culture will
work at your site water and will
not be inhibited by factors such
as conductivity and site
specific contaminants, metals
concentrations etc.
Sale
Restrictions Our
cultures are not available to
all potential buyers. Culture
sales are approved on a case by
case basis when BTC (and other
culture stake-holders) believes
the culture will be properly
applied and that the remediation
will be properly conducted. Our
interest is that our cultures
never fail in the field and we
prefer to not make a sale rather
than to taint our current 100%
success rating. |
Pilot Testing
BTC can provide turn key pilot testing
services for bioremediation and other
technologies. Our services include
pilot test design, implementation as
well as pilot test reporting. We
are experienced in conducting tracer
tests, hydraulic tests, recirculation
tests as well as more conventional
bioventing/sparging tests.
Treatability
Testing
BTC can provide treatability testing for
almost any technology, such as cyanide
treatment, metals removal, water
softening, chemical oxidation, aeration,
zero valent iron treatment. We can
design and conduct the treatability test
and provide you with a well written
documentation report.
Remedial Planning
BTC can provide remedial planning services
for optimal selection of remedial
alternatives. We have experience with
design and construction of over 50 large
scale bioremediation systems across the US.
Many of these large projects are
multi-consultant team projects and as such
BTC is very used to such arrangements and we
believe that we excel in this environment.
Applied Research
One of BTC's founding goals is to provide
treatability testing and to bring forth new
practical technology applications to the
forefront of the remediation industry.
Some of our current research interests are
direct degradation of 1,4 Dioxane (aerobic &
anaerobic), improved degradation of 1,2 DCA
in mixed solvent environments, anaerobic
degradation of high concentrations of
hydrocarbons with alternate electron
acceptors, and degradation of chlorinated
ethers. BTC conducts some of this
research on its own, or for our clients.
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