ABikerSailor
Diamond Member
Yesterday, I was watching the History Channel "It Came From Outer Space", which was a program that showed all the advances NASA had made for the space program, and where some of those things had real world applications on earth.
One of the things that they showed was a powder made from beeswax that formed little hollow spheres. It seems that this powder which is all natural (beeswax) is very good at soaking up oil (10 times it's own weight), and not only will it soak it up, but it will biodegrade it so that it will not harm the environment.
I'm wondering why BP is still using those toxic chemicals. Do they have a contract with Halliburton to fuck up the environment as much as possible?
One of the things that they showed was a powder made from beeswax that formed little hollow spheres. It seems that this powder which is all natural (beeswax) is very good at soaking up oil (10 times it's own weight), and not only will it soak it up, but it will biodegrade it so that it will not harm the environment.
PRP - How it Works
Bioremediation is the process of using biological agents, such as bacteria or plants, to remove or neutralise contaminants in polluted soil or water.
Petroleum Remediation Product (PRP) is a 100% natural, non-toxic hydrocarbon (oil) absorbent, that attracts and stimulates the natural (indigenous) microbial population, to degrade oil on land or water.
PRP is oleophilic (clings to petroleum); yet hydrophobic (repels water) and is the only biological product that contains and remediates hydrocarbons in a micro-environment on the waters surface. When contact is achieved between the hydrocarbon and the PRP, the encapsulating wax forms a floating matrix thus initiating and enabling the bioremediation process.
The beeswax functions as a nutrient for the indigenous microbes and as a stimulant, that causes them to consume the hydrocarbons and reproduce, which they do exponentially approximately every 20-30 minutes. PRP overcomes one of the most obvious problems faced by other bioremediation technologies, that of microbial survivability. PRP provides a means of stimulating massive quantities of viable hydrocarbon micro-organisms at a contaminated site, thus enabling the indigenous population of micro-organisms to not only survive but to multiply.
The specific gravity of PRP is greater than oil but less than water. Consequently, PRP provides a barrier between spilled oil and the water or land into which the oil has spilled, thus preventing contact with ecotypes. Once applied PRP repels water and floats, thus enabling it to maintain its position on the surface of the water, it is therefore able to rise and fall with the tide, enhancing the opportunity of the PRP to come in contact with floating hydrocarbons and those hydrocarbons that have impacted the shoreline.
This tidal ability allows PRP to travel to impenetrable areas where hydrocarbons are present and avoids the problems found with other products which tend to disperse rapidly in the water column and cannot be controlled in the same way achieved by PRP.
PRP (OIL BUSTER) comes in the form of loose powder, the application procedure really depends on how big the contaminated site is and ranges from sprinkling by hand to application by a spraying machine (hydro-seeder) in which it is mixed with water. The amount of PRP applied also depends on the level of contamination.
A dosage of 2 - 4 ounces per square foot on soil or water, depending on how much oil is has been spilled is usually recommended but additional applications may be required.
Having PRP in BIO-BOOMS, WELL-BOOMS and BIO-SOKS is simply another way to use the product when it must be confined to one area of an oil spill. This is very significant when the environmental impact of the spill is on land, in or around desalination plants, around storage tanks, in or on boat and ship bilges, storm drains, collection basins, fish farms, fishing grounds, industrial water intakes, recreational beaches, harbours and contaminated wells.
With PRP, in a typical spill, dramatic results can be seen in the first week and most of the spill is gone after only three weeks. Bioremediation is a proven method where oil released into marine water (salt & fresh) can be removed with little impact to the habitat. The entire process is environmentally safe with the absorbed hydrocarbons being biodegraded or broken down into CO_ and water, leaving no residue, by enzymes produced by the indigenous microbes. Life expectancy for microbes is around 30 days (as the population continues to expand for the duration of the spill) after applying PRP. After all hydrocarbons and PRP are consumed by the microbes, they will go dormant and then die within 30 days.
Necessary conditions for PRP are simply; oxygen, water and a hydrocarbon spill. Ideal temperatures for bio-remediation are considered to be in the 35°-95° range, as this is the temperature that indigenous microbes operate most effectively. As an absorbent, PRP works from 60° below freezing to 130° above. Temperature however is not a factor once applied in a water environment.
It is important to understand that PRP can not work where surfactants, soaps, dispersants, detergents or chlorine exist. The product will absorb but not biodegrade without moisture. PRP can be applied to most surface structures, ie; sand, rocks, standing or running water, reeds, wood and/or concrete.
One of the most significant advantages of PRP is the ability to pre-position the product, which requires no mixing or special handling, at sites which are at greatest risk of damage as a result of accidental oil spills (sea ports, oil storage terminals, pipe lines, collection ponds, railroads, etc).
PRP can be used very effectively near shores and in wetland habitats, in these environments, labour intensive techniques and chemicals are not acceptable means of recovery because of potential damage to bird and animal life and the environment. In-situ burning can have adverse environmental effects that outweigh the negative aspects of the spill. Plus the proximity of sensitive wildlife, structures or adverse weather conditions can eliminate the possibility of in-situ burning.
I'm wondering why BP is still using those toxic chemicals. Do they have a contract with Halliburton to fuck up the environment as much as possible?