Oil Gator™ - Application Protocol

Applications

Fuel, Oil and Grease Spills. Apply Oil Gator directly to new or old spills in soil. Area will turn light color and natural vegetation will assume growth in 6 to 8 weeks. Volatile Liquid Spills. Apply Oil Gator directly to spill to suppress VOC's. Landfarming. Oil Gator will bioremediate fuels, oils, and greases in approximately 120 days.

Use Directions

Spills is Soil: Till or rake Oil Gator directly into the spill until area is lightly colored. Let sit 12 hours then thoroughly wet down with water. Keep area moist for 120 days. Surface Spills: Completely cover volatile liquid spilled to suppress vapors. Do not sweep until Oil Gator has absorbed liquid. Bioremediation: Normally one bag per cubic yard/meter. Your Gator sales representative will provide the best application protocol for your situation..

Oil Gator is a chemically modified cellulosic fiber containing all of the necessary ingredients (Nitrogen, Sulfur, and Phosphorous) to enhance biodegradation of hydrocarbons by indigenous bacteria. When activated by the addition of moisture, the indigenous bacteria have ideal conditions within which to reproduce and rapidly utilize the available hydrocarbons as a food source.

The strong wicking action of Oil Gator acts as a physical emulsifier by actually extracting hydrocarbons from less absorptive materials. It encapsulates the fine droplets, making the hydrocarbons available to the bacteria as a food source.

Application of Oil Gator is so simple it is difficult to understand how it works. Oil Gator is simply applied by blending the dry absorbent with the contaminated soil as evenly as possible. Once the hydrocarbon comes in contact with Oil Gator, it is completely encapsulated (up to its saturation level) and cannot be extracted by naturally occurring contact with water. Even when wet, Oil Gator will actually release water to absorb hydrocarbons. This extraordinary characteristic separates Oil Gator from all other absorbents.

When furnished with ideal growth conditions, bacteria will multiply rapidly. Therefore, small quantities of bacteria will effectively perform the task of bioremediation, if conditions are optimum. The most challenging aspect is to properly disperse the bacteria throughout the contaminated soil to achieve a homogeneous mixture. In other bacterial technologies, after the hydrocarbons have been broken down into droplets, containment of the hydrocarbons can still pose a significant problem. This can often lead to leaching of contaminants through the soil into the ground water, possibly contaminating fresh water supplies. This problem is overcome by the use of Oil Gator.

In remediation, no two situations are identical, which makes it difficult to formulate recipe-type instructions for every application. However, a few standardized steps should be taken which will ensure better than average success. If this procedure is followed, minimum degradation of 40% should be achievable every 30 days. In optimal conditions, we have observed as much as an 80% reduction in 30 days.

The pH of the contaminant should be buffered to a pH level of not less than 4.5 or greater than 9.5 for optimal conditions for bacterial growth.

Excessive levels of some heavy metals, PCP, fungicides, and pesticides will slow bacterial growth.

The effective temperature range for the use of Oil Gator is from 40° F to 120° F(5° to 50°C), temperatures outside this range will slow bacterial growth. However, the absorbent will maintain its encapsulation characteristic, preventing leaching, until the microbes become active again. Oil Gator will not biodegrade itself until all absorbed hydrocarbons have been degraded.

GUIDELINES FOR MIXING RATIO

Determine level of contamination, example: 80,000 ppm TPH.

To provide necessary encapsulation and preclude leaching, while providing enough nutrients to achieve maximum degradation with minimum aeration, the amount of Oil Gator to be added is approximately ½ the total weight of hydrocarbons in the matrix. However, the minimum recommended ratio is at least one (1) 30 lb.(13.5Kg) bag per cubic yard/meter of contaminated soil, to achieve adequate dispersion Oil Gator throughout matrix and encapsulation of contaminants.

For example:

Soil

80,000 ppm represents 8% hydrocarbon contamination. One cubic yard of soil weighs approximately 2700 lbs. 8% of 2700 equals 216 lbs of hydrocarbons; ½ of 216 equals 108 lbs.; 108lbs. of Oil Gator required per cubic yard, about three and one-half (3.5) 30 lb. bags.

Liquid

Liquids represent the highest form of hydrocarbon contamination, frequently 1,000,000 ppm. The volume of Oil Gator required can often be judged by observation: Sufficient absorbent to encapsulate the liquid until it is dry to the touch, or has the appearance of soil.  Since liquids represent the highest level of hydrocarbons to be remediated, it may be necessary to add additional product, if the rate of degradation levels out prior to completion. This should be followed by thorough tilling for oxygen replenishment and frequent watering

Thoroughly mix or till the soil/liquid with Oil Gator to achieve homogeneous blending and optimum encapsulation. It is advisable in the tilling process to dampen the soil to reduce dusting and to promote migration of hydrocarbons particles into in absorbent.

Lay out in biocell or open area to provide aeration.

Add water to thoroughly saturate the bed, almost to the point of flooding.

Maintain a moisture level of 30% throughout the remediation period. Frequent wetting is desirable as it helps migrate the hydrocarbons from the contaminated soil into the Oil Gator where it is encapsulated and eventually degraded.

No further aeration should be necessary for at least 60 days and only if degradation stalls. If desired, occasional tilling may be employed to accelerate the degradation process by providing additional oxygen for the process.

Monitor soils through TPH testing until target cleanup levels are achieved. If degradation levels off (determined by TPH testing), simply till the soil thoroughly with more Oil Gator and continue to keep damp with frequent watering.

Note: It can be difficult, in the field, to judge hydrocarbon content without frequent testing and time consuming procedures. With Oil Gator , this can be over come, as visual observation can be adequate in assuring proper application. Simply add absorbent to heavily concentrated areas until the soil is dry to the touch or takes on the appearance of normal soil in the area. If the soil still appears tacky in spots, simple add more Oil Gator.

In addition, lesser amounts of Oil Gator can be used with satisfactory results. However, to ensure encapsulation and maximum contact of the microbes with the contaminant, a minimum of one (1) bag per cubic yard/meter is recommended.