OIL GATOR™ vs. COMPETITORS

OIL GATOR is a patented remediation product. Currently, there is no other technology in the remediation industry which compares with OIL GATOR both in its ease of use and its overall effectiveness with in situ bioremediation. OIL GATOR uses a 100% natural renewable resource as the base of the product. In addition, indigenous micro-organisms and essential nutrients are contained within the structure of the material. The product provides a superior environment for the micro-organism to biodegrade the hydrocarbon it has absorbed. Once absorbed, the hydrocarbon will not be released back into the environment until it is broken down into carbon dioxide and water. OIL GATOR biologically active absorbent actually benefits the soils by using indigenous micro-organisms to degrade the contaminants and maintain the soils ecosystem. When OIL GATOR is through remediating, the result is a rich soil capable of supporting any plant life form normally found or introduced to the soil.

THERMAL REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGY
This company uses a portable soil treatment machine to remove contaminants from soils. The soils have to be excavated and processed through their machine which thermally removes the contaminants from the soil. The treatment ranges from 600-1800 degrees F. The end result is an expensive way to get sterilized soil. Once the soil has been treated it is replaced, however, nothing will be able to survive in the soil because along with the contaminants that are removed by the high temperatures, the essential nutrients for any life form to exist as well as any life form which previously existed within the soil are also removed. In most cases the end result of this type of technology is more harmful than the contaminant itself. In addition, volatile compounds such as benzene, toluene etc. (VOC’S) may be released during this process.

STARLITE
ROTARY KILN TECHNOLOGY
This technology is similar to the above technology with the exception that the soil must be shipped to the kiln site. In addition to the high cost of heating the soil to temperatures in excess of 1800 degrees F is the cost of shipping the soil to the site and then the cost of either shipping the soil back to fill the void left by the excavation or replacing the soil with soil purchased from a different area. During this process volatile compounds are released into the environment. The end product of the process is a sterilized soil unable to support any plant or animal life form.

SPHAG SORB
This company uses a non-renewable resource (peat-moss) found only in Canada for the absorption of hydrocarbons. Peat-moss will not remediate unless bacteria are added. Peat-moss has good absorption characteristics however, it is very dusty and does not perform well when wet. Mining of the peat-moss is depleting as well as destroying the peat-bogs of Canada. Reference Dr. David Suzuki, The Nature of Things, Show #23, 1992/1993.

OIL GATOR biologically active absorbent is produced from a recycled agricultural by-product which is replenishable. Our product eliminates a waste stream produced by agriculture and at the same time provides a superior bioremediation product which is 100% natural, environmentally safe, and harmless.

LAND FILLING
Land filling is a practice which is commonly used to remove contaminated soils from one location and placing them into another. This technology is very ineffective in that it does not solve the problem of contaminated soil, it simply transplants the problem to a different geographical area. The costs involved with this method are excavating, hauling and dumping into a landfill. In addition, soil has to be replaced to fill the void left by the excavated soil. If the soil has to be transported any distance the cost can become very high.

OIL GATOR eliminates pollution on site, conserving the soil while the hydro-carbon is degraded, eliminating the costs of transporting and replacing soil.

ORISON CORPORATION
This company manufactures a liquid nutrient complex which is similar to a liquid fertilizer. The difficulties associated with this type of technology is the fact that the bacteria are not brought in contact with the contaminant and the nutrients have no way of remaining in place for the bacteria to use them due to leaching through the soils. In addition, the contaminant itself may also leach into the ground water. As a result, biocells and liners must be used. The cost of this liquid treatment is high and the construction of biocells c/w liners makes this technology labor intensive.

In one step, OIL GATOR encapsulates the hydrocarbon, eliminating the possibility of leaching into the environment. Once absorbed, OIL GATOR brings the hydrocarbon in direct contact with the microbes and the nutrients necessary to degrade the contaminant.

BIO REMEDIATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICE
This company uses a specific organism (bacteria) for the degradation of a specific hydrocarbon. Introducing a foreign micro-organism into a soil ecosystem is sometimes unsuccessful. First, foreign microbes have a difficult time adapting to a changed environment. The resident microbes have already adapted to the specific environment and will overcome any foreign organisms in the competition for an energy or food source. If the foreign organism manages to survive, nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous and sulfur must be added to facilitate the bacteria in the degradation process. Different organisms are needed for different hydrocarbon contaminants which could result in added expense.

OIL GATOR utilizes indigenous micro-organisms and supplies them with all the essential nutrients required for degradation of almost any hydrocarbon while providing a perfect environment for the degradation to take place.

INCINERATION
This is the process whereby contaminated soils are excavated and transported to an incinerator. The soil is sterilized and volatile compounds are released. Transportation costs, incineration costs and soil replacement costs together make this an expensive process. After incineration, the soil must be placed in a landfill. This results in additional hauling costs as well as landfill fees.

OIL GATOR is a chemically modified cellulosic fiber containing all the necessary ingredients (Nitrogen, Sulfur, and Phosphorous) to enhance biodegradation of hydrocarbons by indigenous microbes. When activated by the addition of moisture, the microbes have the ideal conditions within which to reproduce and rapidly utilize the available hydrocarbon as a food source. The strong wicking action of OIL GATOR acts as a physical emulsifier by actually extracting hydrocarbons from less absorptive material. It encapsulates the fine droplets making the hydrocarbons available to the microbes as a food source.