• Biotechnology has many advantages for water and wastewater treatment
CARLSBAD, CA, Aug. 31, 2007 -- Robert Brehm, CEO of U.S. Microbics Inc., an innovative environmental products and services company, today announced it has been awarded U.S. Patent No. 7,258,792 for its Bio-GAC™ and BAC™ bio-recycling technology for spent activated carbon filtration media. This patent is an extension of the previous patent No. 6,905,603 granted last year and is in addition to patents No. 5,334,533 and 5,039,415 previously issued.
The invention relates generally to treatment of granular activated charcoal (GAC) filtration systems and more particularly it concerns use of micro-organisms for removal of contaminating hydrocarbons including BTEX, MTBE, chlorinated solvents, and volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds from such systems. An important advantage of this patented method and its associated system over traditional GAC treatment of water is that the system is very effective resulting in typical cost saving of up to fifty percent and elimination of the need for carbon roasting facilities to recycle GAC or landfill expenses for disposal of GAC.
The patented system can be used for treatment of water, wastewater, and impacted groundwater subject to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA); Clean Air Act (CAA); Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA); the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Clean-water Act (CWA) including, but not limited to the equivalent state and local requirements. The typical industries with potential beneficial use are: Local potable water treatment companies, boards, districts, oil and gas production, transportation, pipeline, bulking, refining, distribution, retail and gas stations, Commercial and industrial facilities with wastewater production, and/or NPDES permit requirements to treat facility discharges, Chemical and petrochemical manufacturing facilities and Groundwater remediation sites.
Bob Brehm, CEO, stated, "Once again our technical staff has created a unique, patented technology which can help clean up toxic contamination. We will be seeking technology licensees associated with carbon filtration media systems for vapor and liquid phase contamination treatment. Today, forces of change within the environmental cleanup industry are recognizing the need for biological solutions and bio-recycling versus conventional thermal treatment or landfill disposal and our patented process is an ideal environmentally friendly and cost effective alternative often requiring no facility permit changes. Interested parties should contact me directly and our technical engineering staff can help determine the applicability of the technology to meet particular requirements."
Additional information about Bio-GAC™ and actual field results are available at: http://www.subsurfacewastemanagement.com/company.htm in the Project Fact Sheets and Additional Information sections.
U.S. Microbics is a business development and holding company that acquires, develops and deploys innovative environmental technologies.
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