Adventus Announces 1st European Deployment Of EHC-O Remediation Biotechnology
Patented oxygen-releasing compound seen in The Netherlands to offer best overall cost, performance and reliability
Waterloo, Ontario — The Adventus Group announces the selection of their proprietary EHC-O™ product by a consortium of Dutch remediation engineering and consulting firms. It was used at two industrial sites to clean up high levels of petroleum volatile organic compounds (PVOCs) and mineral oil (TPH) caused by underground storage tanks leaking into soil and groundwater. System design and construction of the remedial concepts was carried out under responsibility of NTP; a licensee in The Netherlands for EnviroMetal Technologies; an affiliate of The Adventus Group. The remedial action at these sites employed in situ bioremediation facilitated by the use of EHC-O, a proprietary oxygen-releasing compound that accelerates the aerobic biodegradation of organic constituents of interest. These successful field implementations are part of Adventus' ongoing activities to introduce a portfolio of proven North American remediation biotechnologies across Europe.
Mr. Willem Havermans, MSc. Chemical Engineering, provided some site details: "At an industrial site in Putten, The Netherlands, initial groundwater contamination was remediated through accelerated natural attenuation. The process was monitored by a local environmental consultancy. Within a period of three years, 99.99 % removal of contaminants was achieved, but a great deal of biomass formation had been noticed within the groundwater flow around the circulation wells. Before closing down the system, Adventus' EHC-O product was chosen for injection into the entire remedial zone to tackle any pollutants that might come free from rebound. At a second site in Laren, The Netherlands, bioremediation was combined with groundwater infiltration and air injection. Air injection in combination with nutrients is necessary for the stimulation of natural attenuation. Although good boundary conditions for in situ remediation had been created, the remaining TPH concentrations stabilized at a level of about 6,700 mg/kg. To improve the breakdown rate, EHC-O was infiltrated over the drainage system to apply more oxygen to the pollution. We selected EHC-O as the source of controlled-release oxygen primarily because of its low cost, an ability to buffer pH effects, and to provide inorganic nutrients important to the biodegradation processes. In addition, EHC-O was easily injected using a Direct Injection method. The product was mixed with water on-site into a slurry, the content of which was varied to accomplish the desired injection volume."
Dr. Alan Seech, CEO of the Adventus Group, observed that: "We are very excited about the future international prospects for our oxygen-releasing compound, as well as many other environmentally safe and proven remediation technologies offered by Adventus and its partners. Although there are other similar products available on the market, these important clients recognized the very significant technical and cost advantages associated with the use of EHC-O".
EHC-O is part of The Adventus Group's EHCÔ brand umbrella, a family of latest generation bioremediation products used for the in situ treatment of groundwater and saturated soil impacted by heavy metals and persistent organic compounds such as chlorinated solvents, pesticides and energetics. The technology is a modification of their DARAMEND® technology, which has been successfully used since 1992 to treat more than 1,000,000 tons of similarly contaminated soil, sediment and solid wastes.
EHC-O™ is an integrated source of slow-release oxygen, major-, minor-, and micro-nutrients, and a pH buffering agent. This unique combination of materials facilitates the aerobic bioremediation of soils, sediment or groundwater environments impacted by various organic and inorganic compounds. For organic constituents amenable to aerobic biodegradation processes (e.g., petroleum hydrocarbons, certain pesticides/herbicides), EHC-O significantly stimulates the catabolic activity of the indigenous microflora, thereby accelerating the rate of contaminant removal.
The product is supplied in 35 lb pails as a powder which can be mixed with soil or slurried in water. Installation techniques vary widely depending on the application. For example, the powder can be mixed with soil and placed at the bottom of an excavation where prior soil removal had been conducted. A slurry can be made and the mixture can be injected into the subsurface using techniques such as direct injection through Geoprobe rods or hydraulic fracturing. The powder is fine enough to permit injection of the slurry through well screens.
SOURCE: The Adventus Group